Bhugola Varnanam of Sri Vadiraja Tirtha

BHUCOLA VMNANAM

by Saint
SRI VADIRAJA

Introduction, translation, commentary and illustrations

By V- BADARAYANA MURTHY,

Purana Vijnana Mandira, 41 /I A, III Cross, III Block,
Thyagarajanagara, Bangalore-560 028.

Published by :

Akhila Bharata Madhva Maha Mandali

(Madras Branch)

Digitized and Uploaded by:

Hari Parshad Das (HPD)

on 20 July 2013.

Price : Rs 65/-

Available at :

A. B. M. M (Madras Branch), 'Dharma Prakash',
10, Raja Annamalai Road, Madras 600 084

Printed at : Kamadhenu Printers, Thyagarajanagar, Bangalore-28.

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DEDICATED TO
Acharva Sri MADHVA

Who, in all his three manifestations as Hanuma, Bhima
and Madhva upheld the glory of Lord Sri Hari

This our humble tribute on the occasion of the
celebration of his 750th Jayanti

(1988-1989 )

H. H Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swamiji,

Sn Pejavar Adhokshaja Mutt
Jagadguru Madhwacharya Samsthana,

UDUPI-576 101 Karnataka
Phone: 20 498

BLESSINGS

Bhakti means knowing God and loving Him intensely.
By knowing how God has created this wonderful world
we get to appreciate God's greatness much more and our
iove for Him increases Therefore it is necessary for us
to become wel! acquainted with the vast universe that
God has created.

Material science enlightens us with the knowledge of
Nature, Geography and Astronomy ; and it also tells us
about the vastness of the universe and the marvellous
forces hidden in it Thereby we become aware of God's
unlimited powers. Our sages and seers have not only
surveyed the universe by their mystic powers, but they
have also comprehended and discussed the unseen features
of the world. If we look into our ancient books it will
be clear that our writers haa become familiar long long
ago with the secrets of nature discovered by modern
scientists We may see that our ancient astronomers had
spoken about the gravitational force in their own way even
before Newton discovered it Our sages had seen many
things which are beyond the scope of modern scientific
instruments

At present, there appears to be a great gulf between
what our ancient texts declare and what the modern
discoverers think about the details of Geography, But,
if the eastern pandits and the western class of scientits

come together to hold critical discussions, it will held
the world to find new light and to form a decisively
correct pictuie of the universe And it may also help us
to understand the true import of our ancient texts.
Generally, the apparent meanings of puranic texts are not
the true meanings. Sri Madhwacharya has indicated that
there are hundreds of ways in understanding the meanings
of the puranas and, without knowing them, one cannot
get at the heart of puranas. Therefore, it is not rignt to
criticise the puranas as unscientific without making a
proper study of puranic texts. As there are many knotty
points in the puranas, hard to resolve, there are inconsis-
tences in modern science too. Hence, the riddles may be
solved oniy when scientists and pandit philosophers si^
together and hold discussions.

Sri V Badarayana Murthy has made a deep study in
this respect and has dealt with the ancient texts on
scientific lines. He has attempted to meet the modern
questioners with satisfactory answers. We wish that those
who seek knowledge will give him all encouragement to
pursue his efforts.

On the basis of facts culled from Srimad Bhagavatam
and other relative texts, Sri V. Badarayana Murthy has
rendered into English Saint Sri Vadirajaswamy's Bhugola
Varnanam. We are glad to welcome this work which will
be quite useful to those who are eager to get a true picture
of the universe. We pray Sri Krishna to bless Sri V.
Badarayana Murthy to serve Him furthur by holding the
torch of knowledge.

We are pleased to offer compliments to the Akhila
Bharata Madhwa Maha Mandali, Madras branch, for taking
up the publication of this work.

(Sd.) Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swamiji.

Camp : Madrapuri (Madras)
13th day of the bright half of Bhadrapada Month

13-9-1989

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II Sri Gopinatho Vijayate II

SRI SRlPADARAJA MUTT,

No 58, Raghavendra Colony,

Chamarajapet, Banga!ore-18 Date 24-9-1989

This blessing is communicated to Vedamurti
Badarayanacharya in the name of Sriman Narayana.

We have gone through the script of ' Bhugoia
Varnanam ', a product of much Painstaking. Although it
was not possible to go through it in greater detail, we
are pleased to say that the style and the analytical Pre-
sentation of facts are sure to help the general readers
to get a clear bird's eye view of this universe created by
God It has been possible for Sri Badarayanamurthy to
present the most sublime facts in quite a simple manner
since he has made a deep study of many scriptural texts
and has also gone through several books on modern
science with a critical outlook Another noteworthy fea-
ture is that ha has pointed out how the views of the
followers of other religions- especially the Christians and
the Muslims, agree with the Madhva concept of Cosmo-
logy as dealt with specially by Sri Vadiraja swamy, who
is acclaimed as 'Bhavi Samira' — the would-be Vayudeva.
Thus the author of this text has rendered useful service
to humanity.

The efforts of modern scientists to unravel the
secrets of nature have their own limitations and often
lead to differing opinions. Also, the great efforts put

forth fay scientists and modern philosophers to seek
happiness seem to be somewhat ridiculous and not fruit-
ful. Sri Badarayana murthy has rightly pointed out this
fact. Since scientific achievements and modern philoso-
phical approaches are mostly opposed to intrinsic truth,
it would be profitable for every one to make an honest
effort to understand Vedic truths visualised by the seers;
truths which cannot be discovered by mechanical aids.
Sri Badarayana murthy's attempt to make Sri Vadiraja
swamy's Bhugola Vamanam palatable to scientists too is
quite laudable.

If the well - intentioned readers sincerely go
through the book and understand it, the author's efforts
will be richly rewarded With this conviction we offer
our Prayer to the Lord of our adoration — Sri Sri Gopmatha,
not different from Sri Sri Hayavadana and Sri Sri Ranga-
vittala, to bless the author with a long lease of useful
life.

Thus we conclude with the awareness of Sriman
Narayana.

(Sd) Sn Vijnananidhi tirtharu.

We offer respectful salutations to Sri Sri Vishwesha
tirtha swamiji of Sri Pejawar Mutt, to Sri Sri Vijnananidhi
ti'tha swamiji of Sri Sripadaraja Mutt for their blessings,
and to Prof : K. T. Pandurangi, who has furnished a critical
preface for this publication.

A. B. M. M. (Madras Branch)

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PREFACE

( bq Prof : K- T. Pandurangi, /b/wwr Professor of Sans-
krit, Bangalore University ; President, Mythic Society,
Bangalore )

I had the pleasure of reading the English summ-
ary of Bhugola Varnanam of Sri Vadiraja tirtha, prepared
by Sri V. Badarayana Murthy. He has also added a long
introduction to this work which incorporates the gist of
the papers presented at the seminar on cosmogony and
cosmography organised by him in Bangalore during August
1987.

This volume has two purposes in view. 1. To make
clear the conecpt and details of the Geography of
the whole universe consisting of the fourteen lokas as
described In Bhugola Varnanam by Sri Vadiraja tirtha to
such readers who do not know Sanskrit. 2. To elucidate
this concept and details in terms of modern knowledge
on this subject.

It is natural that the two do not agree in all the
details. One should not be in a hurry to reject either
the traditional or the modern merely on this ground.
Scientific enguiry knows no end. Modern science is still
quite young and should have the ambrition to grow. Its
experimental method is only one way of scientific enquiry,
Our ancient 6eers probably had much superior methods
of enquiry. They were able to cultivate ceratin mental
faculties of man that could probe into the mysteries of
the universe much deeper.

Sri Vadiraja tirtha, the author of Bhugola Varnanam,
was one such great seer of mystic powers. His Bhugola
Varnanam was the outcome of both his direct vision of
the structure of the univeise through his mystic power
and also his deep study of puranas that give the details
of the universe. Therefore, modern screntists should take
it as a guide to continue their enquiry furthur Sri V.
Badarayana Murthy has analysed the contents of this great
work in a simple and clear manner. He has given modern
equivalents of calculations of the locations of planets
and distances, seas, worlds, etc., and this is very helpful
to understand the ancient calculations.

The gist of the seminar papers included in the intro-
duction throws useful light on different aspects of this
problem It is heartening to note that many young scien-
tists have handled the matter with an open mind and with
convincing arguments. I appeal to senior scientists to
overcome their prejudice that the Vedas and puranas
contain unscientific and imaginary data and all this does
not stand any scientific scrutiny. They must accept the
fact that our ancient seers were more close to Nature and
had different methods of enquiry other than the present
day experimental method But their conclusions are stil '
available in our ancient literature and we must try to find
the clues to understand them. If we are not able to read
tne script of certain ancient documents, we should not
rush to the conclusion that these ancients had no language
at all. Our branding of our ancient scientific thought as
unscientific amounts to such an attitude

Sri V. Badarayana Murthy has done well in bringing
this great work on world Geography to the notice of
modern scholars. The pictures and charts included by
him have added to the usefulness of this volume.

K. T. Pandurangi

12th August, 1989

BHUGOLA VARNANAM

Education after independence has taught us only to
laugh at our ancient wisdom The material Science which
gets lion's share under Education, has no answer to human
problems, for it does not accept that a man has a soul
to save.

Added is the bluff that is carried on vehemently that
our earth has three motions The first, it spins on its
own axis. The second, it orbits round the sun. The
third, it has precession, if we accept these motions for
the earth, no life would be possible on this earth.

Our ancient Scriptures hold that the earth is stationary.
Not only that; it is just one of the fourteen lokas created
by the Lord Even though their truth is vouchsafed for
us by the Lord, Himself, thanks to the doubts injected
by Material Science, which is based on imperfect perce-
ption and logic based on such faulty perception, even
scripturally oriented people feel timid to project the views
given by Scriptures.

Shri V Badarayana Murthy has made a life-long study
of both the views. No one is asking anyone to accept
this view or that view. But there is sufficient scope for
further scrutiny on received knowledge which is paraded
before our children.

It is for the serious reader to consider the two views
and arrive at his own conclusion. Saint Sri Vadiraja has
given this work, so that the devotees of the Lord may
see their way clearly.

(Sd) K. RAGHUPATHI RAO

Chaturmukha Brahma in the naval lotus of Snman Narayans

'BHOGQIA VARNANAM*
BY:

SAINT SRI VADIRAJft

INTRODUCTION

Acarya Sri Madhva classifies souls not only
as belonging to three main types, good/ bad
and mediocre; but he also classifies them as
belonging to several grades according to
their innate abilities. This is in accordance
with 'Prasthana thraya' - Brhma Sutras, Ten
Ma-jor Upanisads and the Bhagavadgita, as
also according to the several smritis and
puranas. If only to inform the average
readers who may not be familiar with Brahma-
sutras and the Upanifads, we may ask them to
refer to the 16th chapter of Bhagavadgita
where souls are clearly branded as belonging
to the divine group and the demoniac group;
and it is natural that there should be a
middling group, neither fully divine, nor
fully demoniac. The very name of the chapter
is 'Daivasura sampad vibhaga'.

Among souls of divine inclination, there are
several grades such as the best of humans,
human sovereigns, human gandharvas, divine
gandharvas, divine sovereigns, Ganapati and

his equals, Agni-the fire God Maharshis,
Devarshis like Bhrqu and Narada, the Sun,
the Moon, Kubera, Yama, Indra, Kama (wish-
creating master), ISankara, Garuda and ISesa.
This is in the ascending order- only a few
details mentioned.

There is a class of souls, higher than Garuda
and 'Se^a; they only are eligible to occupy
the post of Caturmukha Brahma. (Female
souls, the true partners of the male souls
mentioned, are also having gradations).
During every Brahma Kalpa-period of creation
and sustenance, there will be two hundred
such souls, the one who has completed his
training during 199 previous Brahma Kalpas,
now occupying the seat of Brahma. Next in the
order of gradation, downward, are Vayu,
L*tavya,Gavya,Vaktavya, Jnatavya, and so on.
(These details are found in Vamana purana).

Saint Sri Vadiraja is the 198th, 'Latavya',
in the upward scale of gradation. He is
almost as good as the 199th, Vayu, and during
this, his period of probation, he engage's
himself in the activities of Brahma and Vayu,
of course, with their co-operation. The
activities of these three souls are
universal. There is nothing in this universe
in which they are not engaged. They are
everywhere and in every thing - living or
non-living, doing their jobs for them.

2

Lord Sri Lakshminarayana, the Supreme Being,
is their Master.

We are more likely to believe in auto-
biographies than in biographies penned by
adorers. Saint Sri Vadiraja has given us his
autobiography in his text 'Vrndavana
Akhyanam' , containing 22 chapters. The
wondrous part of it is that he was just known
generally as a great saint and the greatest
scholar of Madhva sastra during his life
time; but, sometime after he entered his
brndavan (Samadhi) having no tryst with death
at the ripest age of 120, he entered the body
of a born-dumb brahmin with his spiritual
part, and dictated his autobiography such
that people might believe his words. This is
history of the period of the famous
Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar. There is
monumental evidence for all this if one cares
to inspect.

The following are the salient facts in
'Brndavana Akhyanam* bearing relevence to
•Bhugola Varnanam' . In these days of
topsyturvy knowledge of the vast universe put
forward by the scientist folks, people may
not believe if it is said that Saint Sri
Vadiraja had the ability to go anywhere in
the fourteen worlds and that he was honoured
by the Gods to whichever upper world he went
and that he was fortunate enough to go to the

Abode of Sriman Narayana in * Sweta Dvipa • ,
where he was blessed by the fond embrace of
the Supreme Lord.

These details go to show that his 'Bhugola
Varnanam' is not just a concept formed by the
study of puranas like Srlmad Bhagavatam. He
has given us first-hand knowledge of all the
regions of the universe, which he visited and
saw actually.

Knowledge of truth published by the sastras
is tested with reference to visual percep-
tion, logic and the Vedic literature
( ' Pratyaksa ' , "Anumana* and 'Agama'). To
these is added what is known as 'Apta Vakya '-
words spoken by reliable persons. Who else
could be a greater 'Apta* or more reliable
person than Saint Sri Vadiraja^ saint of
the highest order, the most profound scholar,
and one who had full mastery over spiritual
powers? For our reliance on 'Apta Vakya' I
shall give an example which seems to be
nearest to us. Some one asked Ten-singh,
'Have you seen the yeti? Do you believe that
such a thing as that exists? Tensingh
replied, "I have not seen the yeti. I do not
generally believe what I have myself not seen
or experienced. But, it seems, my father saw
the yeti twice; and I cannot disbelieve his
words". Such indeed is 'Apta Vakya', the word
of a reliable person - one who is well-

informed, discerning and has no intention to
cheat others. Therefore, Saint Sri Vadiraja's
'Bhugola Varnanam is Apta Vakya' for us. It
is not only reliable; it can stand the test
of modern science by all counts.

At present, science and traditional knowledge
seem to be at loggerheads. Therefore, I shall
endevour to point out the limitations of
scientific investigation and the authorita-
tive declaration of the puranas and religious
literature in general. While doing so, I
shall freely draw upon the information
provided by several scholars in their papers
presented at the seminar on * Cosmogony and
cosmography* held in Bangalore during the
year 1987.

The following are the salient points presen-
ted by myself in the back-ground paper,
'Beginning of beginning'.

There are two clear versions about the
•Beginning of beginning'- the creationist
view and the evolutionist view. The crea-
tionists seem to be on firm ground although,
at present, many of its votaries are unable
to stand on their legs. On the other hand,
many modern scientists are finding fault with
Darwin's way of drawing conclusions.

An intelligent study of the scriptures goes
to show that God created all things gradual-
ly, the physical features and the living
beings .

Even according to historical survey it must
be admitted that the Vedas are the earliest
records of human thought. However, it is held
in Hindu tradition that the Vedas are only
revelations, heard or visualised by sages and
not the product of human thought. When the
Kuran and the Bible are also said to be
revelations, there must be truth in conside-
ring them as such. All the three have not
combined to deceive humanity. These revela-
tions are also spoken of as the Word of God.
Vedas are eternal and authorless; but God
gives expression to them. Veda means know-
ledge. It is God's knowledge. He is in
'Omkara* and he is 'Omkara swarupa'. Then, is
it not right to say that Vedas are
authorless?

Modern scientists, who bank upon the 'Big
bang ' , theory of creation and evolutionism
are really to be commended for their good
guesses although they are ignorant about the
true details. The puranas, among all the
religious literatures, tell us how God goes
on with the work of creation through divine
agents by a series of 'big-bangs '-'Kshobha'
or 'Alodana', over a lona long period of

864,0000000x360x50+1050 crore human years,
and how living beings were created in the
order of the simplest to the most complex
during a period of 1050 crore years. It is
said that the divine agents were satisfied
only after they had moddled the human frame
with all its computarised mechanism and its
intellectual and emotional abilities enabling
man to know God and his ways and to worship
Him.

Professor S . K . Ramchandra Rao, in his inaugu-
ral address delivered at the said seminar
under the benign presidentship of Sri
A.R.Badarinarayan, BA.BL., Ex-Education
Minister of Karnataka and Ex. M.P., said that
the birth of the universe was not an accident
according to Indian scriptures. Further he
said that the ' Big bang ' theory does not have
much use for the intuitive faculty of man,
which finds its worthy place in the Vedas and
other Hindu scriptures.

His Holiness Sri Vi'swesatxrtha swamlji of
Pejawar mutt, who blessed the seminar with
his holy presence, supported prof.S.K.R.
Rao's view saying that there was a systematic
governing of the universe by a force outside
it. He also said that much before Newton put
forth his famous theory of gravitational
pull, the Indian scriptures had spoken of it.

Prof .K.T.Pandurangi, who delivered the vele-
dictory address at the seminar under the
worthy presidentship of Prof :K.T.Srxni visa
Iyengar, said that the experimental method
was not the only means to knowledge and that
the scientists should come forward to under-
stand Vedic truths. Intuition, inspiration and
revelation are to be respected.

The tribute paid to Vedic literature by Sri
T.V.Vedavyasa, M.sc. Lecturer, St. Joseph's
College, Bangalore, in his paper 'Science and
the Vedas' is worth noting. Here it is -

"Science is defind as systemetised knowledge.
In the modern sense it is knowledge gathered
by means of human endevour and brought to the
form of a dependable system. Naturally it
must be incomplete and imperfect. But the
Vedas provide us with systematic knowledge in
ready-made form.

"THE features of the Kali age are out and out
materialistic. Therefore it is hard for many
to believe in the invisible worlds of which
the Vedas speak. But this should be no hin-
drance to those who make honest efforts to
know things as they are. The laboratory
method, with its own limitations, is not the
only means to gain knowledge. Clining to that
method and rejecting all else is not wisdom
at all.

Some would call as fictitious whatever they
cannot see or experiment upon. But historical
facts cannot be rejected although they may
not be matters of routine nature. Tansen, the
court musician of Akbar, had such mastery
over ' Dipak rag' that he could make the wick
of an oil lamp catch fire and get lighted up.
Acarya Sri Madhva could make seeds to sprout
into seedlings in his hand by chanting the
required Vedic hymn. But such persons are
very rare to find. Nevertheless, they are
historical personages.

"Let us not bother ourselves much about the
authorship of the Vedas. If only we take a
look at the several sciences contained in the
Vedas, we will be forced to admit that they
are surely revelations and not the work of
cowherd Aryans . Vedic mathematics is the
origin of not only the Arabic numerals and
the decimal system, but it is the source of
Algebra, Geometry, Trignometry and many more
branches of mathematics. In the Atharva Veda
we find the sources of many many sciences
such as Ayurveda, 'Silpa 'Sastra, Vimana
'SSstra, Loha Vidya, Jyotifs'sastra, Paka
■feastra, Hatayoga, etc. The Samaveda is well-
known as the source of the musical science.

"Musical science is highly rational. It would
be astounding when it is observed that the
seven primary sounds-sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da.

ni r signify seven knowledges conveyed by the
sun's rays and symbolised by the seven horses
of seven colours. The Supreme Lord presides
over the seven divisions of day and night
with his seven forms-Aniruddha, Pradyumna,
Samkars.ana Vasudeva, Narayana, Varaha and
Narasimha.

Sri T.V. Vedavyasa concludes his paper
saying , "Let us hope that scholars and
doctorate-holders in every branch of modern
knowledge will be humble enough to consult
recognised pandits of the older order for
clarification of doubts and for
enlightenment ."

Dr. A. R. Vasudeva murthy, D.Sc, of the Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore, delivered a
lecture on 'Ancient Indian Chemistry" with
the aid of slide projection. He stated that
right up" to the 18th century, India was
looked to even by Imperial Rome as the most
skilled of nations in such chemical indus-
tries as dying, tanning, soap-making, glass
and cement. By the sixth century A.D.,
Indians were ahead of Europe in Industrial
chemistry - Everyone knows about the chemical
excellence of cast iron produced in Ancient
India.

Thus, Dr. Vasudeva murthy has given glowing
tribute to vedic Sciences.

Dr.Jayaprakash Narayan, M.B.B.S., M.D. (Ay),
President, Karnataka Ayurvedic and Unani
Practioner's Board etc., along with
Dr.Nagesh, P.R. , M.D. (Ay) - speaks of the
science of Ayurveda revealed in the
Atharavanaveda -"it is interesting to note
that 'Ayurveda, being mostly a material
science, has adopted all the theories of
materialism as envisaged by the Samkhya
School, which finds its parrallel in modern
Darwinian theory. It is said that the Acarya
of Caraka Samhita clarifies the need for the
knowledge of similarity between the self and
the universe to make known to the human being
that the cause for all happiness or otherwise
is himself /her self and none else."

Dr. M.P. Alexander, M.Sc, (Ag), Ph.D (Ohio,
U.S. A) senior scientist and Head, Division of
plant Genetic Resources, Indian Institute of
Horticultural Research, Bangalore, delivered
a lecture illustrated with slides to emphasis
the creationist view by demonstrating with
the help of pictures on the screen how God*s
creation is wonderful and beyond human rea-
soning. He showed and clearly explained the
mystic symbols on Rudraksha Omkar*
•'Sivalinga ' , "Trident*, 'Snake* and the like.

In this connection, I wish to draw the atten-
tion of readers to look at the 'Nagalinga
Pu^pa* when it blooms in early spring. One

11

can see, how, the pedestal of the flower
exhibits the '"Sivalinga* , with the thousand-
headed serpant lifting its hoods above the
'Isivalinga' I

In spite of such proofs, why do people fail
to give credit to scriptural details and hang
on to the dubious present-day sciences?

Miss. Usha.K.Adya gives the answer in her
paper, 'Role of Renaissance in the world'.

"By the beginning of the Middle Ages in Euro-
pean History, the Christian religion began to
lose its hold on the common people and made
way for the new thinkers who based their line
of argument upon the ways of the early Greek
thinkers. They began to question everything
and, strangely enough, the Christian priests
failed to provide satisfactory answers.
Development of sciences in the 16th and the
17th centuries helped the new thinkers to
proceed on materialistic lines, neglecting
the religious views.

"British rule in India for nearly two centu-
ries paved the way for the spread of European
New Learning in our country. The teaching of
modernised history gave a signal blow to
Puranic lore. We go through religious duties
and ceremonies without actually believing in
their foundations. How can there be any

sincere belief when our historical sense
treats Vedas and Puranas as Myths? Hence, our
present need is to see to the 'Revival of
Indian Learning and Culture ' in its pristine
form. 11

Sri V.L. Praveen, B.E. has pointed out that
the fundamental error made by modern thinkers
is the world-wide belief in evolutionism at
the cost of creationism. His remarks are
worth our consideration. He says - "Charles
Darwin, the main propounder of the theory of
evolution, tells us that life first appeared
in waters and developed simple aquatic crea-
tures, which in course of time developed into
terrestrial' and aerial creatures. But he
fails to account for the appearance of life
to begin with. His laws of natural selection
and survival of the fittest form poor logic;
and it is not at all scientific as no labora-
tory method can prove it. How and why people
believe in such an 'ism' is ununderstandable .
The western thinkers might have had reasons
for such belief in the face of the so-called
Biblical statements telling that the entire
creation was the work of six days and that it
is just 6000 and odd years since creation
began. Geological proof goes thoroughly
against it.

13

The creationist view that we can find ir.
Vedic literatures, on the other " hand,
presents a clear scientific account of facts.

"Therein we are told how primordial matter was
transformed into grosser and grosser modes to
form the nine outer envelopes of the universe
(and it took half of Brahma's life period -
'Prathama ParSrdha*. Then the grosser
materials were created by chemical big bangs,
known technically as ' Panclkarana * .

Life within the * Brahmanda ' started first in
waters even as Darwin guessed. Lord Narayana
entered the gross waters of the Brahmanda
with all the souls to be brought into crea-
tion, and gave them gross bodies through the
agency of Mahalakshmi, his spouse and
Mistress of Nature. Vedas bear testimony in
this respect. MahaLakshmi says "Mama yonih
apsu Vantassamudre". My creator is in the
waters and my field of activity is therein to
begin with". Srimad Bhagavatam, Visnu rahasya
and the other puranas clearly tell us how
living creatures were developed over a long
long period by the divine agents of the
Creator, the 'Beginning of beginning'. Seven
stages of creation are clearly mentioned -
acquatic creatures, reptiles, animals of
land, birds, mammals, higher mammals like the
cow and the horse, and then, man".

14

Sri.V.L. Pravin makes out a case to show how
the modern mind is viciated by total de pen-
dance on the Darwinian theory of evolution.
Erich Van Daniken was surprised to find
marvellous examples of human genius among the
ruins of Maya Civilisation, America (for
details, one may look into his very
interesting book 'the Chariots of the Gods').
He does not actually mean true divine beings
by the word ' Gods * . He only means some human
beings from some other planet with better
developed skills.

The fact is that this author would have
formed a different opinion altogether if he
had access to vedic literatures - especially
details found in the Atharvana Veda and the
Puranic accounts which tell about the skills
with which Viswakarma (divine architect) and
MaySsura (architect of the demons) are
endowed.

Sri G.B. Gurura jachar, M.Sc, Lecturer
National college, Gowribidanur, writing about
'Cosmogony and Cosmography as gleaned from
Bhagavadgita ' quotes relevent verses from the
text to show the nature of the universe and
the greatness of its creator. Here are a few
verses -

15

"Vedanta krid veda videvacaham"

(I am the author of VedSnta and I know
the meaning of the Vedas; non else).

This line of the verse clearly tells us
that Sri Vyasamaharsi is the same as Sri
Krshna, 'Vedanta* being used here to mean the
Brahmasutras. Therefore, we have to agree
with what Sri Vyasamaharsi has said about
Cosmogony and Cosmography in Srimad Bhagava-
tam and in the other Puranas.

"Aham krtsnasya jagatah prabhavah

pralayah tatha"

(I am the creator of the entire universe
and I am its consumer ) .

"Mayldhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa carScaram
Hetunanena kaunteya jagad viparivartate "

(Under my supervising lordship, the mis-
tress of nature gives birth to living crea-
tures and material forms. The world under-
goes changes on account of this 5 .

"Tribhih gunamayaih bhavaih yebhih

sarvam idam jagat
mohitam nabhijanati mamebhyah param avyayam"

16

(The beings in this world are overpowered
by ignorance caused by the three material
modes. Hence, they do not know that I am
different from and superior to all else and
that I am changeless. )

"Avyaktam Vyaktim apannam manyante mam

abuddhayah
param bhavam ajananto mama avyayam anuttamam"

(Those who are unintelligent think that I
assume material bodies. They do not know the
excellence of my being, which is changeless
and very very superior in every respect).

The two verses quoted above clearly show
that the world is real and different from the
changeless Brahman.

"Maya tatam idam sarvam jagat avyakta murtina
Matsthani sarva bhutani nacaham

teshvavasthitah"

(This universe is fully pervaded by my
unseen personal presence. I am supporting
all things, myself being supported by none).

The word 'different* is misconstrued by
the supporters of monism. When it is said
that material things and individual souls are
different from the Supreme Being, they assume
that they should be outside Brahman or that

17

there should be holes in Brahman to locate
them. The Verse quoted tells us how Brahman
is inside and outside everything and every-
one without being contaminated. The word
'murti' tells us that He has His non-material
forms. But we should note that each one His
forms is in every other form in its fullness
and that the different forms make one form,
singly or in groups.

Stanzas 20, 21 and 22 in Chapter XIII
tell us that matter and spirit are eternally
different. It is matter that undergoes
changes. The non-material spirit is the one
who suffers pleasure and pain. But the
Supreme Spirit is only the witnessing Master
permitting the other spirits to go through
experiences. He is the sustaining and consu-
ming Lord of the universe.

"Abrahma bhuvanallokah punaravartinah arjuna"

"Ksine punye martya lokam visanti"

The purpose of teaching the Bhagavadgita
is more to convey the philosophy of the Vedas
in its practical aspect than to describe the
apparent cosmo logical features. Yet, there
is some reference to cosmography too in so
far as it has a bearing on the use of
philosophical knowledge.

18

The two lines quoted above make clear
mention of the six divine worlds above and
the earth below them. The importance of the
human world on earth is indicated as being
the training ground for souls .

"Yadgatva na nivartante tad dhama

paramam mama"

This line tells us definitely that there
is the 'Vaikuni^a loka ' which is the supreme-
most and which is eternal. It also indicates
that the trained souls enter that Abode of
eternal happiness and they don't need to come
back to earth. Vaikunta loka is fully non-
material. Entering that loka means getting
back into Brahman and not becoming Brahman .
Saint Sri Vadiraja has pointed out that
'Aikya' means 'Ekatra bhavah' or being toge-
ther, and not 'Ekasya bhavah ' or becoming
one. Grammatically, he says that 'Aikya'
cannot be split as 'Ekasya bhavah'.

It is usually believed that Sri "Sankara-
carya has considered this world as a mere
illusory effect. But the late Sri^Vedantam
Subbiah Shastry of Bangalore says that it is
not so. He has written a book, "Is the world
an illusion according to Shankara?" His son,
Sri Geetha Prabhu, B.Sc, B.E., M.E., dealt
with this topic at the seminar.

19

Here we give quotations from the book
referred to:

"The very words of 'Advaita' and ' Nirvi-
'sesa' have been interpreted by the later
commentators and text book writers in such a
way as to suit their conclusions or ' Siddhan-
ta'. They mean by the words 'Advaita' and
'Nirvisesa' that except Brahman nothing else
exists; and as a result, they have decided
and established that the world does not exist
at all and it is only an illusion or miscon-
ception which ceases to exist after self-
realisation. This is proved to be contrary
to 'Sankara's commentaries because Shankara
has established that the world is as real as
Brahman. 'Sankara has established clearly
that though He is stated to be ' nirguna' and
' nirvilsesa ' , Brahman alone is responsible for
the creation of this universe, because He is
Omnicient and Almighty by His nature."

"If Brahman is not the creator of this
universe, He is no Brahman at all. Mere
logical arguments by pandits with their vast
learning of Sanskrit do not alter the facts.

The world is still here even for them to say
that the world is an illusion. "

There are two papers contributed to the
Seminar, one by an eminent Christian Father

20

and another by a Muslim Scholar , both of
which bring out the similarity between the
puranic concept of the universe and the con-
cepts held by the Bible and Kuran.

Father V. Francis Vineeth, CMI, L.Ph.,
Ph.D. (Rome), Ph.D. (Oxford), Director,
Dharmaram Pontifical Institute, Bangalore,
has explained how God is the Creator, Himself
remaining the unchanging Centre in the form
of 'Word'. All else is His reflection. This
is exactly like Brahman, who is the original
of Omkara, creating the whole universe by the
vibrating effects of the mantras emanating
from Omkara.

Quoting from the Psalms of David, the
following lines are given -

"Thou didst set the earth on its foundations,

so that it should never be shaken

Thou didst cover it with the deep as

with a garment;

The waters stood above the mountains

At thy rebuke they fled;

The mountains rose, the valleys sank down

to the place which thou didst appoint

for them."

Herein we find a parallel concept to the
deeds of Xdi VarSha Avatar, when the Lord
brought up the earth from where it had been

21

kept sunk by the mischief of the demon Hiraij-
yaksa, and how it was set in its place,
hardened by mixing the fat from the bodies of
the demons Madhu and Kaitabha who were both
killed by Adi VarSha. Rising of the ocean
waters above the mountains and their coming
down refers to the 'Jala Pralaya' and the
blessing deeds of 'Matsyavatara* . In fact,
the first Manu, Swayambhuva, ! Adi Manu' is
the same as Adimanu, Adim, Adam, Adham. The
Christian term Manoa is the same as Manu.

Historically considering the antiquity of
the Vedas, we must admit on the evidence of
the parallels shown that the Kuran and the
Bible are only the echoes of the Vedas, all
the three being no less than the 'Word' of
God. That 'Word' which we call 'Omkara' is
the same as - Aum, Aumen, Amen!

Father Francis Vineeth has beautifully
summed up his thesis in the following words -
"In the Christian vision of the beginning we
have the infinite Being with its ineffable
•Word' in the centre. This Word becomes
flesh, which when shared, gives rise to huma-
nity which is placed in a universe prepared
by the same 'Word' for its own human self-
expression". Here, the 'Word' represents
God; flesh represents Jesus Christ, the
Saviour who appeared in a human body, and
humanity stands for mankind in general. It

Expansion ot "OMKARA*

is this last mentioned humanity which con-
sists of individual beings who have to serve
God and gain redemption.

Mr. T.S. Sanaulla Bintory, Reader and
Head of the Department of Physics, Al-Ameen
College, Bangalore, has presented a beautiful
paper - 'Holy Kuran speaks - Universe and
Man". The following quotations from his
paper go to prove why I call it beautiful.

"Glory to God, Most High,

full of Grace and Mercy,
He created all, including man."
"It is God who has
created the heavens
And the earth and all
between them in six days"

[The 'six days' concept of both the christians and the
Muslims is indeed the same as six Manukalpas that went
before the present Vaivasvata Manu Kalpa. Each year
of a Manu being equal to three lakh human years and
each Manu's life span being 1000 years, the six days
spoken of will give us the figure 180 crores of years.
Adding the period elapsed in the present Manukalpa,
the total will be 200 crore years in round figures.
Have the present day scientists taken all this into
account before finding fault with religious texts?]

This idea is reflected in the following
passage from the Kuran:

23

"The Angels and tne bpxrir
Ascent unto Him in a day the
Measure wherefore is fifty
Thousand years." (S. 70:4)

Look at the following -

"God is He who
Created seven firmaments
And of the earth
A similar number." (65:12)

Here we find clear mention of the four-
teen worlds spoken of in the Puranas. Seven
firmaments means worlds located in the visib-
le sky - Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Swarloka,
Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka.

'Of the earth, a similar number* means
the netherworlds within the bowels of the
earth - Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala,
Mahatala, Rasatala and Patala.

Similar are the following lines -

"To Him belongs what is
In the Heavens and earth
And all between them,
And all beneath the soil." (20:6)

24

See also -

"See ye not
How God has created
The seven heavens
One above another." (71:15,16)

Reference to the 'Kala Cakra ' of the
Puranas is in the Kuran thus

"It is not permitted
To the sun to catch up
The moon, nor can
The night outstrip the day.
Each (just) swings along
In (its own) orbit
(according to law). (36:40)

The above first three lines hint about
the retrograde motions of the sun and the
moon with reference to the constellations.
The moon's velocity in retrogression is
greater. While the sun falls 1 degree
behind the moon covers 12 1/2 degrees behind
every day.

Sri R.P. Shenoy of Karkala presented
three very interesting papers - (1) Dream, a
stabiliser of the Cosmos; (2) Vortex drilling
- a method to get energy from another dimen-
sion; and (3) Atom - a product of relative
speeds of two vibrations. But, the subject

25

being too abstract for the present intro-
ductory content, details of the papers are
not considered here. However, his concepts
of + and - (positive and negative) vibrations
as representing Purusha and Prkriti , and the
concepts of the abstract 'Kala' and 'Akasha'
linked with the material world of 'Time' and
'Space 1 , are really interesting and thought-
provoking.

We now come to the paper presented by Dr.
C.R.Raghunandan, a young and brilliant scho-
lar well-versed in modern science and in the
traditional sastras. The paper is 'Review of
Bhugola Varnanam' by Saint Sri Vadiraja.

This paper is like a very good thesis
prepared for a doctorate degree. As the
author himself says, "This paper reviews this
work of Vadira jaswamy" . His observation
about the meaning of 'Bhugola' is quite good,
because most people are mislead by the modern
meaning of the word and they need to know the
right meaning. 'Bhugola' in this context
means 'Brahmanda', the golden shell covering
the universe and not a globular earth of very
small dimensions.

He prefers the yojana measure as being
equal to six miles as it satisfies the pura-
nic figures to be in agreement with actual
measurements. For example, in Bhavisyottara

26

Puranam it is stated that the Tirumalai hills
are situated 300 yojanas to the south of the
Ganga. This being eual to 1800 miles (300 x
6), the measurement is exact.

The measurements concerning the land of
gold/ and the Lokaloka mountain around, is
made a controvertial issue leading to some
confusion. But Saint Sri Vadiraja's inter-
pretation leaves no room for such contro-
versy. Dr. Raghunandan ' s placement of moun-
tains in the Ilavrita Varsha also leads to
some confusion. His concept of 'Vayu Kurma'
finding support on "Vishnu Kurma' does not
find mention in Saint Sri Vadiraja's 'Bhugola
Varnanam' .

At the end of the paper he draws contrast
between the puranic and the scientific views
about the universe. His conclusion, that the
modern measurements regarding distances
between stars must be erratic, is indeed
noteworthy .

Smt. Padma Nagaraj, B.Sc, B.Ed., in her
paper 'Our concern about the Universe 1 ,
distinguishes four types or rather grades of
knowledge in the following manner -

(1) J nana - Recognising something as such.

27

(2) Su jnana - Understanding the properties

and uses of a thing.

(3) Vi jnana - Knowing the divine agency at

work behind the apparent
natural phenomena.

(4) Pr a jnana - Knowledge of Self and the

Supreme Self.

Hence, according to this analysis, modern
science is only 'Su jnana' and not 'Vi jnana*
as the Indian scientists have preferred to
call it.

She remarks that it is good to develop
scientific attitude to know things precisely
and to be guarded against religious hoaxes.
But that itself does not help us to know what
our concern is in this universe. The scien-
tists' concern is to know more and more
about the nature of things and to see how
best they could be harnessed for the better-
ment of life here and now. Even a pure
scientist is likely to be influenced by the
society of which he forms a part; and the
utility side of science does haunt him. The
industrialsits make the utmost use of him for
their own profit. And even governments make
use of him, generally for welfare works; but
using scientists for preparing all sorts of
weapons of war is quite common. So much so,

28

science seems to have reached demoniac dimen-
sions and it has become the night-mare for
every living thing.

On the other hand, a philosopher is
concerned more about finding the ultimate
cause behind the universe of our experience
such that our life here may become really
meaningful. But, human intellect having its
own limitations, only religious philosophy is
truly helpful to know our concern about the
universe.

When we speak of religious philosophy,
religious conflicts begin to stare at us.
But such conflicts are due to human nature
and not due to religious teaching. Smt.
Padma Nagaraj quotes the words of Sri M.
Hidayatulla ('Heritage' - Dec. 86) who has
said, "As the poet Ikbal has said, religion
does not teach enemity and discard." There
is also his quotation from the Kuran - "0
prophet, tell those who do not believe in me
that they are believing in some other God
(God with a different name?). You are belie-
ving in your God. They are not likely to
believe in your God and you are not likely to
believe in their God. Theii religion is for
them and your religion is for you."

Hence, Smt. Padma Nagaraj stresses the
need for leaning upon religious philosophy

29

which draws its tenets from revelation.
Finally, she says "A thorough knowledge of
Cosmogony and Cosmography is quite essential
to realise the purpose of creation as
ordained by the Creator, by which knowledge
alone man can seek happiness here and here-
after; and that is his main concern.

Sri K.S. Venkatesha murthy, B.A., poses a
question in his paper - "Is life worth
living?"; and he endeavours to provide the
answer. Selected parts from his paper are
given here to make a summary of the answer.

"Science can solve problems only to
create fresh problems. Scientists may assert
that they can unravel every, secret of nature
in due course and that they can also find out
the spiritual aspects of nature if at all
they exist. How long will it take - a few
million years ??? What is its relevence to
you and to me if there is no soul to fall
back upon?"

"A word about religion. Being scared by
the ruffles resulting from religious fervour,
many would like to keep religion away from
public life. The ruffles are rather due to
human weaknesses than to religions them-
selves. It is like taking an over -dose of a
prescribed medicine or of an addicted drink.
Because our eyes detract us by bringing

undesirable sights to view, is it wisdom to
close our eyes and proceed?"

My suggestion to the scientists is this -
Let them go on with their methods of under-
standing the world. But, at the same time,
let them attempt to understand Vedic litera-
ture in the right manner. That will surely
bring desirable benefits to one and all.
Their progress too will be quickened when
they come to know the substantial secrets
hidden in Vedic lore."

"With an understanding of the organisa-
tion of the universe according to the
ordering by the Supreme Being, comes the
understanding of the purpose of life.
Through rough and smooth or thick and thin
life is meant for the upliftment of the soul.
True philosophy does not advocate detachment
from the pleasures of life which are there to
give a foretaste of eternal happiness. Of
course, the cost of happiness here on earth
is too dear; but it is quite necessary.
According to Madhva 'sgstra, life is enjoyable
and worth living. Pleasure and pain are the
lessons for life. 'Go through life and win
the game' is the advice offered by Sri
Purandara dasa."

Sri K. Mohan Rao, radio artist, presented
a paper on the relevence of the Puranas. The

31

main point to note is that the puranas are
the necessary commentaries to be relied upon
to understand the true import of the Vedas.
Only, they need to be carefully made use of
to guard against interpolations, omissions or
additions. "Itihasa puranabhyam vedam
samupabrimhayet . M

It was my share to present the following
five papers at the Seminar - 1) Basis for
belief. 2) Creation and Structure of the
Universe. 3) The fourteen worlds. 4) ' Kala
Cakra" (Time Wheel) and 5) Relevence of
Cosmogony and Cosmography.

Since much of the material contained in
my papers is gathered from Saint Sri Vadi-
raja's 'Bhugola Varnanam' and from Srimad
Bhagavatam and other relevent texts, I need
not give a summary of the contents thereof.
That will be made use of in the rendering of
'Bhugola Varnanam' itself where necessary.
However, it may not be out of place to say a
few things about 'relevence'. But I shall
reserve it to be included as appendix to the
text in hand - 'Bhugola Varnanam*.

By a perusal of the Seminar papers the
following conclusions may be drawn -

1. Vedic literature is truly scientific; but
it has escaped the notice of western

32

scientists whose investigations into the
past stop with the Greeks of 600 B.C.;
and they would give some light credit to
the Chinese and never to Indians!

2- Although history books tell us that the
cowherd Aryans composed the Rig Veda
around 1500 B.C. when they had settled in
the Punjab and that they composed the
other Vedas later on, true historians
like Max Muller have opined that the
Vedas are the earliest human records and
that their dates cannot be fixed.

3. The puranas were not composed by
different Vedavyasas during the A.D.'s.
They are the works of a single Maharshi
of that name and they were composed
during the early part of Dwaparayuga.
Sri "Sankaracarya and AcSrya Sri Madhva
consider him as the very incarnation of
Lord NarSyana, the Creator Himself. It
is no wonder then that he wrote the Maha
Bharata long long even before the
Kauravas and the Pandavas were born and
that he could tell us about the Maury a
period of Indian history in his
Bhavisyottara Purana.

The Bible and the Kuran are also reve-
lations - abbreviated and simplified
Vedas, wherein we can find parallels in

33

plenty. Those two revelations are mostly
meant for the people of this age who
suffer under stress and strain of
modernisation, especially in the western
countries .

5. The Vedas are the richest mines of
precious knowledge although the lava of
the volcano of European Renaissance has
covered the mining areas at present.

6. A few parallels hinted under item 4 may
be examined -

(i) 'Amen' is the same as 'Aum* or ' Om'.

(ii) The syllable 'Om' is considered as
the 'Word of God' in all the three
revelations. The Muslims call it as
"Alia ke ruh" (Breath of Allah).

(iii) Six days of creation is identical
with six Manukalpas of the puranas.

(iv) Noah's Arc is the same as the
ship held aloft by the Matsya
Avatar of Visnu to save Vaivaswata
Manu and the rest from the deluge
(Jala Pralaya) .

(v) Vaikunta = God's Heaven = Jannat.

34

(vi) Nitya Naraka = Hell,

(different from Purgatory ) = Do2akh

(vii) Fourteen worlds = Seven upper
worlds - Bhuloka to Satyaloka and
seven nether- worlds (spoken of in
the Kuran) — Atala to
Patala.

The European Renaissance gained ground
because the Christian scholars of those
days failed to satisfy those who began to
question them. Perhaps, that was due to
corruption and degeneration in the Church
as history tells us.

The present plight of the Indians is
that, being influenced by western
scientific notions, they turn a deaf ear
to Vedic teachings although there are
pandits who can yet convince them as well
as the western scientists.

When I wrote to Sri J.R. Lakshmana Rao,
well-known scientist at the Manasa
Gangotri in Mysore during the year 1972
requesting him to offer his candid
opinion about my views, he wrote in
reply-

"It is my opinion that you are trying the
impossible, I mean the task of reconci-

35

ling the scientific view of the universe
with the unfounded speculations of our
religious men . There is absolutely no
chance of your influencing my thinking."

Such is the pride and prejudice of our
country-men at present to a very large
extent.

9. Life is precious and the soul is hungry
to seek realisation and release from the
miseries of mundane living which presents
more sorrow than, happiness. We should
learn the truth about human limitations
while in a miserable plight and when in
happier mood, we should think of the
measures to be adopted to find eternal
happiness.

10. Attempting to gain all the required
knowledge through scientific methods and
to gather all happiness by means of
scientific gadgets is nothing but a wild
goose chase. It is like rejecting a
welcome feast and going a-begging for
food.

"Siddham annam parityajya bhiksam

atati durmatih.

11. The fundamental error that is being
committed today by philosophers,
scientists and the common folk is their

36

blind dependence on the theory of
evolution and rejecting the truth about
God and His creation. But let us see how
systematic and convincing the Vedic
description of creation is.

Modern scientific investigation stops at the
Sky which they consider as vacuum. But an
Indian scientist has recently announced that
he can get electricity out of vacuum.
Therefore it cannot be really a void without
any material however subtle it may be - call
it ether or by any other name.

Vedic literature tells us that the sky is
formed by what is known as 'Akasa tatva ' .
Not only this. It goes to the very beginning
of beginning. It tells us about three primo-
rdial non-cognisable modes - Satva (principle
of light and knowledge), Rajas (principle of
activity) and Tamas (principle of inertia,
darkness and ignorance ) . At the commencement
of creation, the Mistress of matter, Sridevi,
creates disturbance (Ksobha) in the restful
modes at the behest of Lord Narayana and
brings out the three principles by the first,
mild 'big bang' of pure Satva and pure Tamas.
When pure Tamas is acted upon by pure Satva,
the visible Satva, Rajas and Tamas (yellow,
red and blue respectively) emerge from pure
Tamas wherein they are hidden.

37

A further 'big bang', mixing the three
principles - 100 Satva + 10 Rajas and 1
Tamas, brings out "Mahat tatva* (principle of
pure intellect). * A part of 'Mahat tatva' is
taken out and mixed with the three original
principles in different proportions to form
the 'Aharakara Tatva' (Ego principle) of three
shades - VaikSrika ahamkSra, wherein Satva
predominates, Taijasa ahamkara, wherein Rajas
predominates and Tamasa ahamkara wherein
Tamas predominates. The first one is used to
give subtle bodies to divine agents and to
create the physical mind which finds location
in our nervous system, in the spinal chord at
the heart level.

We may here note that the mind is not
something vague but the most subtle instru-
ment made to receive impulses from the exter-
nal world and to transmit them to the knowing
'Self*, the owner of the body; also to res-
pond to the external world on his behalf.
The Self is a spiritual entity. He is the
knower and experiencer. This individual
self, inhabiting the body by the grace of
God, is yet a learner being trained to rea-
lise himself. Therefore, the different
functions of the body are governed by divine
agents, the favourites of God. They know
themselves and apprehend the events of the
material world; and they help the individual
self to know and feel.

38

Vidya Ganapati is at the gate of the mind
opening towards the external world. That
part of the mind which is close to the gate
is presided over by Indra and Kama, the
former taking cognisance of events and the
latter creating desire. They receive impul-
ses and offer responses on behalf of the
owner - self. Above them is Parvatldevi ,
spouse of 'Siva, receiving the impulses and
translating them into knowledgeable terms.
Her sphere of the mind is known as
"Buddhi' (informative intelligence). Above
her, presiding over the third section, is
Lord Siva, the Master of the Ego principle;
and he makes the self to feel, 'I know'.
There are two other superior compartments of
the mind - 'Citta* and 'Cetana' presided over
by Garuda and ISesa respectively, the former
being responsible for sifting the right from
wrong knowledge and consolidating it by
thinking, and the latter responsible for
storing knowledge as 'memory'. Thus we see
that the mind consists of five departmental
functions, of which we are well aware of the
outermost compartment and have vague notions
of the other four. Is this not analogous to
the conscious mind and sub - conscious mind
of modern psychology? Does it not tell us
that Vedic knowledge is vastly more
scientific than modern science?

39

Let us continue the chain of creation.
Out of the second shade of Ahamkara Tatva,
the abilities of the sensory and the motor
organs are created. Out of the third, five
subtle elemental modes are created - "feabda
tanmatra -{source of sound), Sparsa tanmatra
(medium for touch sensation), Rupa tanmatra
(medium of light that shows things ), Rasa
tanmatra (medium for taste) and Gandha tanma-
tra (medium for the formation of solid things
which are generally characterised by smell).
All the modifications of the original three
modes described so far are of the subtlest
kind from our view point although the lower
ones are comparatively grosser than the
higher ones.

The creation of Brahmanda, the golden egg
enveloping the universe, is out of the
•Gandha tanmatra' also known as 'Prithvi
tanmatra ' .

Within the Brahmanda, the five gross
elements are created by 'Alodana' or the 'big
bang' into which modern scientists have had a
good peep, but have failed to go much beyond
the sky.

The sky itself is created by a process
known as * Panchikarana ' (chemical combination)
120 parts of £abda tanmatra being combined
with 20 parts of each of the other tanmatras.

40

The air element is created by combining 120
parts of Sparsa tanmatra with 20 parts of
each of other four. Similarly, fire, water
and earth are created. These five are only
gross elements appearing in the form of the
•NEBULE' of modern science. And it is really
the 'big bang' within the Brahmanda that has
been responsible for the creation of the
elements of air, burning bodies, the planets
and the vast earth, 300 crore miles in
diameter, not the planet earth.

Excepting the agnostics among scientists,
who have built up prejudicial complexes in
themselves, all other great scientists have
admitted the limitations of human knowledge
and have declared that the mystery about the
"beginning' is ever a mystery for them.

The following are the words of Einstein
himself; one of the most leading scientists
of our days.

"The most beautiful and most profound
emotion we can experience is the sensation of
the mystical. It is the power of all true
science. He to whom this emotion is a
stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand
rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know
that what is impenetrable to us really
exists, manifesting itself as the highest
wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our

41

dull faculties can comprehend only in their

most primitive forms - this knowledge, this

feeling is at the centre of true
religiousness . "

"My religion consists of a humble admira-
tion of the illimitable superior spirit who
reveals himself in the slight details we are
able to perceive with our frail and feeble
minds. That deeply emotional conviction of
the presence of a superior reasoning power,
which is revealed in the incomprehensible
universe , forms my idea of God . "

Vedic literature, therefore, comes to our
aid where modern science f^ils and ends.
Before concluding my introductory observa-
tions, I wish to pose the following questions
to be squarely answered by scientists -

1. Light being mass converted into energy,
does it not suffer resistence as it
proceeds from a distant star before it
reaches our optical instruments? If it has
to face resistence in space due to known
or unknown causes, how can we speak of the
constancy of velocity of light through out
the universe?

2. However minutely precise be our geome-
trical or other methods based on parallax,
spectroscope, classification of stars

42

according to luminocity and the like, how
can we be sure of stellar distances and
distances between stars and between
galaxies. As some scientists have
confessed, if it may be about 50% wrong,
look at the difference - two stars said to
be 100000000000000 miles apart, will be
only 10000000 miles apart.

3. According to Einstein's concept of Rela-
tivity, "the heart beat of a pe R son,
travelling with a velocity close to that
of light, would be relatively slowed along
with his respiration and all other
physiological processes. He would not
notice this retardation because his watch
would slow down in the same degree. But
judged by a stationary time keeper, he
would grow old less rapidly. In a Buck
Rogers realm of phantacy, it is possible
to imagine some future cosmic explorer
boarding an atom-propelled spaceship,
ranging the void at 167,000 miles per
second, and returning to earth after ten
terrestrial years to find himself
physically only five years older. *
(Extract from 'The universe and Einstein'
by Lincoln Barnet, a splendid book
recommended by Einstein himself).

This phantacy is indeed fantastic. It need
not be a phantacy, but reality. There is

43

a parallel of this in the puranas. King
Raivata went to Brahmaloka, which is
750000000 miles away from the earth, in
the winking of an eye by means of yogic
power and waited there a few moments
before he could get an interview and
consult Brahma about a suitable bridegroom
for his daughter, Revati; and then he
returned to earth to find that some lakhs
of terrestrial years had elapsed by then.
Both father and daughter had grown older
by that much. (This is concerning persons
of divine abilities born on earth unlike
those of ordinary human beings).

Here, the main point to note is that the
universe is not governed only by physical
laws through out as our scientists would
fondly believe without actual experi-
mentation; there are also divine laws
working through natural and supernatural
laws.

Calculation of time is the same for all,
depending upon the 'Kala Cakra' (Time
Wheel); but its application differs. A
day of Brahma = 4320000 x 2000 human
years; of other divine beings = 360 human
days ; of the manes = 30 human days.

Thus there is relativity as well as
commonness of time in the three cases cited

44

Without putting to test this valid expla-
nation how is it right to stick on to the
Theory of Relativity or any other?

4. We speak of suns and solar systems within
the millions of galaxies. Have the
scientists found at least one more solar
system within our own 'galaxy'?

5. We also speak of galaxies of different
types. Are there any galaxies seen in the
southern celestial hemisphere except the
two Megallanic clouds? If not, what is
beyond there to the south?

[For the information of scientists it may said-

i) What looks like a galaxy is just a cluster of
millions of divine vehicles in the form of
stars, racing at unimaginable velocities around
the upper worlds.

ii) There are starlike planets, the abodes of Yaksas,
Guhyas and the like, in the southern sky upto a
certain extent. Srimad Bhagavatam, canto V may be
consulted.

iii) The upper worlds and even the neighbouring
regions of our globe (perched at the southern
edge of Jambudvipa) are all invisible to our
eyes and to our instruments because they differ
in composition although the entire universe is

45

composed of the same elements- It is said in the
puranas- "Adrsya dhatavab sarve samutpanna jala
adayah" 3

6. The question of questions is -

"Will our scientists ever get over the
human tendency of succumbing to pride and
prejudice in order to know the truth? Will
they use a little introspection to shift from
the mere physical to the spiritual?

Let the wise ones build up a growing
community to save the world from the darkness
of materialism. Let them hold the torch of
spiritual light and let there be a
Renaissance of religious culture based on
Revelations.

Now, it is my pleasant duty to thank the
Akhila Bharata Madhva Mahamandala (Madras
Branch) for having come forward to publish
this work which was long pending publication.
My special thanks are due to the office
bearers of 'Dharraa Prakash', Madras, for
having taken the initiative in this respect.
As regards the Seminar papers which I have
freely made use of to weave my introduction,
I should thank the donor who generously
offered me Rs.10,000 to conduct the Seminar.
He desires to remain incognito out of sheer
modesty; but, as I have gauged, he is a

46

person of saintly qualities inspite of the
unusual opulance with which God has blessed
him. My thanks are due to him and his noble-
minded secretary as well. I will be failing
in my duty if I do not offer thankful
respects to Sri Vi jnananimidhi tirtha swamiji
of Sri Sripadaraja Mutt, Mulbagal, who was
good enough to declare open the exhibition on
the occasion of the Seminar, and who is my
well-wisher for bonafide reasons. My thanks
are also due to my friend and well-wisher,
Dr. Miles Davis (Patita Pavana Das),
Director, International Institute of Indology,
Inc., U.S.A., for his encouraging letter
which arrived just on the eve of commencing
the printing of this book. And I thank the
proprietor and staff of Kamadhenu Printers,
Tyagarajanagar, Bangalore, for their genial
cooperation in printing this book. My thanks
are due to M/s DYNARAM ELECTRONICS AND
COMPUTERS, Bangalore - 4, for excellent
computer composing of this book.

V. Badarayana Murthy,
Chief Organiser,
Purana Vijnana Mandira,
41/1A, III Cross, III Block,
Thyagara janagar ,
BANAGALORE - 560 028.

47

BHUGOLA VARNANAM

Of

Saint Sri Vadiraja

INVOCATION

(Verses 1 - 8 )

I bow down to the feet of Lord Narayana
who appears with His Horse-headed form
(Hayagrlva), who is both far and near and is
dear to those who always remember Him. He is
not fully comprehended even by the Upanisads.
He has afforded lodging in His heart to
Kamaladevi (Sri Maha Laksmi) who knows Him
and yet knows Him not. He is verily the lake
wherein the fish-like eyes of adoring devo-
tees move about sportively. He is indeed
Lord HayagrXva. I bow down to Sri
Vyasamaharsi , who is the sun that dispels the
darkness of our hearts. He is the originator
of all the sacred sciences. He is none other
than Lord Sri Narayana, the Creator of all.
Lord VedavySsa is like the thunderbolt that
strikes at those who choose the wrong path
and mislead others.

48

My salutations to Sridevi, the highest in
intellect and the model of modesty, but fear-
less at heart- Her looks are tenderly kind
in bestowing wealth; and at the same time
they make our hearts free from all sorts of
afflictions. My salutations to Bhudevi ,
sister-like to Srxdevi. She blesses us with
wisdom. She was graciously lifted up by the
tusk of Lord Varaha (God who appeared in Boar
form)*. She is the abode for saints who find
joy in the scriptures. She makes the god-
minded souls happy.

I bow down again and again to Acarya Sri
Madhva whose glory finds praise in the
beginningless Vedas, who is without any flaw
and is quite pure, whose intellect is the
highest, always engaged with the memory of
the Almighty Lord, whose glory is the subject
matter of the Vedas. His form is quite
enchanting and it' fills one's heart with the
milk of kindness. Similarly, I offer my
salutations to Bharatx devi, fully endowed
with female virtues, custodian of the
principle of intellect, a bee of devotedness
at the lotus feet of Sri Hari, the foremost
among the souls of her kind and the bestower
of opulance to the devotees of God.

My salutations to all spiritual masters
who discard the evil-minded ones as enemies
and help the good souls to sail across the

49

ocean of life; and who bestow boons like the
wish-fulfilling tree to those who serve them
faithfully.

I* Here is reference to the episode of bringing
up the submerged earth at the beginning of Svetavaraha
Kalpa when the Lord in Boar form killed the demon
Hiranyaksa and replaced the earth in its place after
making it hard and unfoldable by mixing with it the
fat of the demons Madhu and Kaitltebha who were also
killed.]

THE BRAHMANDA

(14 - 17)

Brahmanda or the hollow golden shell
containing the universe is fully round in
every direction, east to west or north to
south. In it, twice its inner complement is
Ghanodaka (solidified water) and the region
of darkness is circular in shape, lying as it
does within the Ghanodaka stretch. It is
twice as wide as the circular earth which
occupies the middle part. Upanisads describe
the earth as ' Prithvi' - that which is
spacious with abundance of wealth for living
beings. The earth is said to stretch from
sea to sea as the brahmin seers conceive it.
It has the Meru mountain at its very centre
and it contains seven islands and seven
oceans stretching around the Meru centre.
They are circular in form. The three together

50

- earth, dark region and Ghanodaka - measure
fifty crore yojanas from end to end. This is
factual and not fictitious.

MEASUREMENTS OF THE THREE REGIONS

(in the ratio of 1:2:4)
(14 - 17)

Of the three regions mentioned, the earth
occupies a circular stretch having a diameter
of seven crore yojanas. Being double that in
stretch, the region of utter darkness
measures fourteen crore yojanas. Considering
the stretch of Ghandodaka as being twice that
of the dark region, it measures twenty eight
crore yojanas. From the Meru centre, the
earth measures 3 1/2 crore yojanas in all
directions. The region of darkness and the
Ghanodaka region measure 14 crore and 28
crore respectively putting the opposite parts
together. Therefore each of the opposite
parts measure only half of the said count.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE
REMAINING ONE CRORE YOJANA

(18 - 54)

As detailed heretofore, 49 crore yojanas
are distributed among the three regions,
(7+14+28 = 49). The remaining one crore
yojana should be converted into lakhs. Of
the 100 lakh yojanas, 14 go to earth, 28 to

51

the dark region and 56 to Ghanodaka. Thus,
98 lakh yojanas are distributed leaving a
balance of 2 lakh yojanas. This should be
converted into Thousands (two hundred
thousand). Of these, 28 thousand for earth,
56 thousand for dark region and 112
thousand for Ghanodaka are distributed.
196 thousand being thus distributed, the
remaining 4 thousand should be converted into
hundreds (40 hundreds). The earth takes 5
hundred, the dark region 10, and Ghanodaka
20. Now the total is 35, leaving a balance
of 5 hundred yojanas (500). This is distri-
buted in the ratio of 70:140:280, making a
total of 49 0, with a balance of 10 yojanas.
This 10 is distributed as 1:2:4; only 3
yojanas now remain.

An intelligent person converts the 3
yojanas into 12 krosas (1 yojana = 4 Krosas).
Now, the distribution is as follows -

1 1/2:3:6.

Thus, 10 1/2 krosas having been distri-
buted, 1 1/2 kro'sas still remain. The table
of measurements being-1000 dandas = 1 krosa,
and 4 krosas =1 yojana, 1 1/2 krosas means
1500 dandas (staff length). Distribution
- earth 214, dark region 428, and Ghano-
daka 856, thus making a total of 1498
dandas. The remaining 2 dandas convert

52

themselves into 8 hastas (4 hastas or cubits
= 1 danda). Distributing as 1:2:4 for the
three regions respectivly, the balance will
be 1 hasta which is equal to 24 angulas
(inches). Again, after distributing as
3:6:12, three inches still remain to be dis-
tributed. 3 Vrhis make 1 angula (Vrhi means
a paddy seed). Therefore 3 angulas are
equal to 9 vrhis. Distributing as before -
1:2:4, the length of 2 vrhis still remains to
be distributed. One vrhi being equal to
seven sarsapas (mustard seeds), now we are
left with a stretch equal to 14 sarsapas put
side by side. The distribution being as
2:4:8, no balance remains.

The Vedic mode of measurements being in
this manner, measurements in all other
respects must follow suit. Lord Sri Hari who
came down incarnated as Sri Vyasa Maharsi,
has thus shown the mode of distribution in
the ratio of 1:2:4 - each unit being a
seventh of the whole. Therefore the Puranas
tell us that the hollow of Brahmanda measures
exactly fifty crore yojanas. The fractional
parts being added to 7, 14, and 28, the
total will be 50 crore.

[We may note that the measurement is exactly
precise even to the extent of a single mustard seed.
The 2 mustard seed measurement^ attributed to earth in

the final analysis are distributed as one on each of
the opposite sides of the circumference.]

7 Sarsapas
(mustard seeds)

3 Vrhis

»

24 Angulas

4 Hastas
1000 Dandas
4 Krosas

TABLE OF MEASUREMENTS

- 1 Vrhi

(length of a paddy seed)

- 1 Angula (inch)

- 1 Hasta (cubit)

- 1 Danda (staff length)

- 1 Krosa

- 1 Yojana

32000 feet or 6.06 miles

Hegion

ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS

Earth

Dark region Ghanodaka

Yojanas 7,14,28,571 14,28,57,142 28,57,14,284

Krosas

1 1/2

Dandas

214

428

856

Hastas

Angulas

4
12

54

Vrhis 1 2 4

Sarsapas 2 4 8

[The distribution is perfect to a mustard seed
when it is in the ratio 1:2:4. How did Saint Sri
Vadiraja learn such mathematical procedure? Not at
any present day schol at all! He was a master of
Vedic mathematics. Could the 'Cowherd Aryans* create
such mathematics around 1500 B.C.? Then, is it not
the gift of the ageless Vedas? Certainly, the evolu-
tion theory loses ground. ]

Fractions of sevens, seventies- and the
such of the one crore remainder being added
to 49, it makes the 50 crore yojanas - the
measurement of the hollow space within the
Brahmanda. Since corn seeds and other things
were larger in size during the 'Krta yuga',
the measurements are based on the sizes of
the mustard seeds and paddy seeds of that
yuga. The earlier sages have kept these
points in view when they have declared that
the Brahmanda interior measures 50 crore
yojanas.

[Tolstoy's story, 'Grain as big as a Hen's Egg'
bears witness to the fact that seeds and the like were
bigger in the Krta age. For the same reason, a man's
cubit measured 24 inches then as against 18 inches now
obtaining. Consequently, the average height of man in
those days was 8 feet, of course, leaving margin for

55

abnormalities. Incidentally, we may note that Acharya
Sri Madhva is described as a personality of eight feet
in height and that every one could have darsan of the
bust of that personality as he moved in the midst of
crowds in procession.]

The earth was created in the Krta yuga
and therefore its measurements agree with the
standards of that age. Lord Sri Maha Vis ma
created the earth during the first Krta yuga
of the first 'Kalpa'.

[Here, a 'Kalpa' means a day of the four-faced
Brahma, the obvious creator. The first day of his
51st year was devoted to the creation of the earth and
all other things. A day of Brahma is equal to 1000
'Mahayugas' - the four ages Krta, Treta, Dvapara and
Kali put together; and his night is of equal duration.
The four ages rotate in the same order. Creation of
the earth was during the very first Krta yuga. The
first day of Brahma, referred to above, goes by the
name "Padma Kalpa' since the created earth and the
heavenly regions followed the patterns of the lotus
flower. This period lasted for 432 crore human years.
- Mahayuga = 43,20000 x 1000 years.

On the second day of Brahma began the "Sveta
Varaha Kalpa ' , of which mention has been made in
respect of lifting up the earth to its position by
Lord Varaha, God in Boar form. This Kalpa has run a
course of six Manu Kalpas and we are now under the
regime of the seventh Manu, Vaivaswata. The first one

56

was Svayambhuva Manu or Adi Manu. (Compare - Adima,
Adim, Adam, Adham). From the commencement of the
regime of Adi Manu it is 197,29,49090 years upto 1989
A.D. And, from the commencement of Padma Kalpa when
the earth was created, it is 1060 crore years in round
figures. If only the Christian pandits had known
this, the geologists and biologists of the Renaissance
period in Europe would not have found fault with the
facts about creation as presented in the Bible- Even
according to the Bible, 6000 years means six Manu
Kalpas, each Manu's life-span being 1000 years. A
Manu's regime lasts for 71 Mahayugas. Therefore each
year of a Manu is equal to 300000 human years. This,
multiplied by 6000, gives a figure of 180 crore years.
Since the Bible says that it is 6000 and odd years,
add the period covered by 27 Mahayugas of Vaivaswata
Manu Kalpa + Krta, Treta and Dvapara and 4989 years of
the present Kali age; and that will be 180 +
17,29,49089 - 197,29,49090 years as given in our
•Pancanga' (Hindu Calendar).]

THE TERRESTRIAL REGION

(55 - 58)

Basing our concept on the measurements
indicated here-to-fore, the earth should be
understood as consisting of the seven islands
and the seven oceans, the middle most island
Jambudvipa measuring one lakh yojanas, and
each of the outer islands being twice as
large as their inner complements. Similarly,
the seven surrounding oceans too should be

57

considered. Thus, the diameter of the circu-
lar earth measures 5 crore and 7 lakh yojanas
upto the encircling land of gold, which
itself is surrounded by the land of diamond.
The last two are known as 'Antyadhyardha
sthala 1 This point will now be discussed.

ANTYADHYARDHA STHALA

(Land of gold and land of diamond)

With reference to the location of
Lokaloka parvata (which surrounds the entire
terrestrial region) the measurement of earth
other than 'Brahma bhumi ' is said to be 6.08
crore yojanas. To reach the full measurement
of 7.14 crore yojanas, we still require 1.06
crore yojanas. The measurement given for the
region around Suddhodaka ocean being 1.28
crore yojanas, the land of gold should there-
fore measure 64 lakh yojanas on each side.
"Adhyardha" does not actually mean half; but
it means 'with a little addition to half.
Therefore, a little more than half of 64
should be taken as 42 instead of 32 in order
to satisfy the scriptural statement.

[If this procedure is followed, the total measure-
ment will be -

i) Earth with seven islands and oceans - 5.07 crore
ii) Land of gold, both opposite sides - 0.64 — " —

0.64 -----

58

iii) Land of diamond, both sides - 0.42 — " —

- 0.42 --»--

7.19 crore

yojana^

The excess of 5 yojanas {7.19-7.14 « 0.05)
should be assigned to Brahma bhumi extending beyond
'Vajralepa' (Land of diamond) and forming part of the
foot of the Lokaloka mountain - just a fringe of it.]

If this position is not maintained, the
measurement of the Brahmanda interior would
be more than 50 crore yojanas. If the Land
of gold is taken to measure 96 lakh and the
land of diamond, half of that - 48 lakh, then
the terrestrial region would measure
5.07+0.96+0.96+0.48+0.48 = 7.95 or 8 crore
yojanas. Following the ratio of 1:2:4, the
Land of darkness will have to measure 16
crore and Ghanodaka, 32 crore. The total
would would be 56 crore yojanas; and this is
entirely wrong.

What has been said herein about the Land
of gold and Land of diamond is in agreement
with the opinion of Acarya Purnaprajna. If
the fringes of the earth were just earthy, it
being prone to denudation, the measurement,
given as exact to a mustard seed would not
remain constant. Hence Lord Sri Hari has
created the hard diamond land around.

59

[Finally Saint Sri Vadiraja says in all humbleness
that his statements are certified to be correct by
£carya Sri Madhva, residing in his heart.]

ANDHANTAMAS
(Region of complete darkness)
(79 -83}

The pit of darkness known as

'Andhantamas' is situated below the earth
level, sunk in Ghanodaka. This region

surrounds the LokSloka parvata and is termed
as Wdhogati ' or the downward path. Because
'Andnantamas' is below the level of
Ghanodaka, it is possible for sinners to go
down into it to some extent and to come up
again. That they go down and come up has
been stated by Sri Vyasa maharshi, the author
of Brahma Sutras.

[The pit of darkness is very very deep. Sinners,
who deserve greater punishment than what they may
suffer in the ordinary hells, are made to go down into
the pit of darkness to some extent and they come up.
But those, who are thrown down into the lower parts
known as "Tamas*, 'Maha Tamas* and 'Andhantamas*,
never come up. They are the third kind of souls who
are doomed to suffer in the eternal hells.]

The principle of darkness extends even
higher than the Lckaloka parvata which is 51

60

lakh yojanas high. It is petrified darkness
like water turned into ice. If it were not
so, where was the need for Sri Krsna, Lord of
the Yadus, to create a tunnel through it by-
means of his Cakra (disc weapon)?

[The Cakra weilded by Sri Krsna is of the princip-
le of light in the main. It is praised thus -
"Sudarsana mahajwSla koti surya sama prabha" - a
weapon blazing with the brightness of crores of suns.
When Sri Krsna had to drive Arjuna's chariot towards
■Anantasana* in the Ghanodaka - far beyond the petri-
fied circle of darkness, he had to cut through it and
make a tunnel. It was easy for the disc of light
(Cakra) to cut through the darkness. This was on the
occasion of bringing back the dead son of the Guru. ]

Prom time immemorial, demons like Kali
and his troop have been dropped into this pit
of darkness and are bound to suffer acute
pains. Their number is uncountable. (It is
because there are innumerable Kalis with
their followers, those who were thrown into
* Andhantamas ' during the countless previous
Brahma Kalpas.) Even during "Maha pralaya'
(the long period following final dissolution
of the universe ) , just even like Vaikunta
loka, this hell remains in its place without
undergoing extinction by the consuming fire
of 'Pralaya' and the like. But the suffering
demons of that region are taken up into the
belly of Sri Hari (who rests on the banyan

61

leaf like an innocent child). Even when the
demons are there in God's belly, they suffer
pains so natural to their own non-material
bodies - sore-eyes, headache, stomach pain
and also different kinds of bodily and mental
illness. (Body here means the non-material
body). Again, by the command of Sri Hari,
they are assigned to 'Andhantamas' - the hell
of eternal damnation, when another universe
is created. There they are tormented by
fire, rock-fall, sharp weapons and piercing
beaks of birds; and by being made to wade
through excretion, urine, blood and the like.
They suffer varieties of pains as they did
during the previous Kalpas. No doubt, it is
their fate to suffer in 'Andhantamas'; but
such suffering is the need of their very
nature. They are incorrigible, veteren
sinners, whose perverted knowledge
(Mithya jnana) makes them so.

Because the selves are non-material, they
cannot be cut to pieces and made into parts.
As such, rock-fall or use of weapons do not
destroy the spiritual selves; they only
inflict pain. When the demons are made to
suffer being bit by leeches with diamond-like
teeth, being subjected to the heat of fire,
by rock-fall, or by being made to wallow in
the mire of excretion, urine and blood, and
by hearing constant wails and fearful cries,
or when punjent and bitter liquids are poured

62

into their eyes, ears and noses, it is their
innate sorrow that expresses itself. These
painful experiences are referred to as 'Panca
Kasta" (five-fold torture affecting the sense
organs) - hearing hurtful cries, seeing
horrible weapons, smelling nasty things,
torture suffered by the taste of hot liquids,
and suffering cuts by sharp weapons.

[For any ordinary person, this description appears
to Be repugnant. But that is due to the wrong notion
of universal kindness. Those who plead for divine
mercy for one and all are only the kind-hearted good
souls; it is not the demons themselves. They prefer
suffering and blasphamy; and they find pleasure in it.
It is like Satan in Milton's 'Paradise Lost", saying
"I can make a Heaven of Hell". This aspect is not
very easy to appreciate unless one takes the trouble
to understand what the non-material soul is and how
souls differ from each other by their very

natures. (The mango tree prefers the sweetening
minerals for its growth while the neem tree prefers
only minerals that give bitterness.)]

THE NETHER WORLDS

(93 - 98)

Within the hollows of tbe earth down
below are seven worlds ranged one below the
other. They are Atala, Vita la, Sutala,
Talatala, Mahatala Rasatala and Patala.
Each of these is 10000 yojanas in extent

63

(width and height). Thus they occupy a total
area of 70,000 yojanas. The Meru mountain
has its base into the earth to the extent of
16,000 yojanas. The gaps between the seven
nether worlds make a total of 3000 yojanas
(500 yojanas in each case). The earth

extends still further below to a depth of 11
thousand yojanas,* it is all rocky in nature.
(16+70+3+11 = 100 thousand)

[In Srimad Bhagavatam, the eight directional
elephants (Asta diggajas) are said to be standing
beneath Patalaloka, supporting the worlds above them.
Evidently, their location should be within the range
of the last mentioned 11,000 yojanas.]

ADI £ESA

(99 - 102)

Adi Isesa is worshipped by all the
serpents of Patala loka. He has his situa-
tion in the Ghanodaka down below; and he is
immortal. He finds himself supported by
'Vayu Kurma' - Mukhya Prana in tortoise form;
Adi 'Sesa's tail rests thereon. He is quite
strong. Lifting one of his thousand hoods,
he supports the worlds above him so that the
earth does not sink into Ghanodaka. Hence he
is hailed as 'Sarva loka dhurandharah".

4.

[Hearing about the effort put by Adi Sesa in
keeping the earth from sinking down, any modern person

64

is sure to laugh at the very idea in view of Newton's
Law of Gravitation. But, one who knows the truth,
laughs at the modern man for his sheer ignorance.
The earth is not just a globe of 8000 miles in diame-
ter, going round the sun. In fact, it does not move at
all. It has a stretch of 30 crore miles, with the
Meru mountain at the centre and the nether worlds
beneath. The gravitational force is towards 'Visnu
Kurma' who supports the Brahmanda with the whole
universe within it. Gravitational force is nothing
but the will of the Omnipotent Lord working through
material bodies. God's ways are wonderful, not easily
understood just by human intellect. He has huge forms
as well as forms which are more minute than the minu-
test. The "Visnu Kurma' form enters into the various
•Vayu Kurma' forms giving gravitational forces to all
things - big and small, according to their masses.
Therefore, we may say that Newton's guess was right;
but he had no chance to know the whole truth. The
secret of secrets is that it is the Omnicient Lord
Himself who acted as the original (Bimba) of Newton or
Keplar or Einstein and discovered certain secrets of
nature - of course not all, only to work out the
features of Kaliyuga. He is known as ' Yugadikrt ' . ]

Adi 'Sesa by himself, is not competent to
support the worlds. His strength is derived
from the Supreme Lord ' Samkarsana ' , whom he
worships in his heart. The space occupied by
Adi 'Sesa <j>m Ghanodaka is 99,000 yojanas.

65

[In fact, the Serpent form supporting the worlds
is Lord Samkarsana Himself; and He is known as
'Ananta'. Adi Sesa is only like a tool in the hands
of a master. ]

LOCATION OF HELLS

{103 - 107)

On the left hand side (south, in this
instance) lower than the visible earth level,
there is a big moat, many yojanas wide and
deep. At its edge is *Sarayamanxpura , / God
Yamadharma's city, where he is always atten-
ding to his duties. There are thousands of his
servants who are very cruel by appearance.
The 'Vaitaranx' river is here; and it is a
terror to sinners. After crossing this river
with a foretaste of the sufferings in
store, they are taken down into hells like
'Raurava', which are horrible. Thousands of
such hells are there for punishing sinners of
different kinds. These hells are in the
southern direction, at the level of the
•Astadiggajas' beneath Patala loka.

Another capital city of Yamadharma's
kingdom is also in Heaven. It is the harbin-
ger of happiness to those who have done
meritorious deeds here on earth.

66

*m$^ ' l - ' ■ SIS

[The directions spoken of in the Puran^as are not
conventional as the modern Theory of Relativity would
consider it. Just as there is the Samyamanipura of
Yamadhanna on the slopes of the Manasottara mountain,
there is the Devadhani, city of Indra, 90 degrees away
from it on another part of the mountain slopes.
Another 90 degrees away from it and just opposite to
Devadhani, is the Nimlochani city of king Varuna. Just
opposite to Samyamanipura there is the city of
Alakavati, where Kubera is the King].

The Meru mountain being the central relative
point of reference, the four cities are said to be to
its south. The Meru mountain itself and the Pole
star, right above it at the tail end of Lord 'simsu-
mara, are to the north of all else on earth.
Bharatadesa, the heart of Bharata Khanda, faces the
south? and sunrise to the Bharatiyas (Indians) is
in the longitudes of Indra' s city, Devadhani. That is
east for Indians. When this is decided, it is easy to
decide the other directions. For India, Japan is in
the eastern longitudes and it is appropriate to have
called it as the 'Land of the Rising sun'.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, the hells are said to be
located beneath the earth, but above Ghanodaka. Since
the hard earth extends downward, upto where it finds
support on Adi Sesa's head, the hells, which are in
line with the directional elephants, are naturally
above Ghanodaka and below the surface of the visible
earth.

67

Here is substantial ground for us to conceive that
the seven islands with their surrounding oceans, are
not flat like a single rupee coin; but they take a
terraced type of arrangement. Thus, the Pu§kara DvTpa
is two lakh yojanas lower than the upper edge of the
3sasket-like Jambudvipa; and the surface of Ghanodaka,
beyond the region of darkness, is in line with Puskara
dvxpa. The location of hells is slightly above this
line. ]

VISljO KPRMA
(106 - 109)

Underneath the earth borne by Adi 'sesa, Ghano-
daka extends to a depth of 24 crore, 99 lakh
yojanas, where it touches the golden shell of
Brahmanda. That shell itself is 100 crore yojanas in
thickness; and it rests on the back of Visnu Kurma,
almost like an atom.

[In the case of Adi "Sesa, the weight of the
vast earth is compared to that of a mustard seed; in
the case of Vi^nu Kurma, the weight of the Brahmanda,
with the entire universe in it, is compared to that of
an atom. Really speaking, this is only to make us to
see the difference between Adi Sesa and Maha Visnu
In the case of the latter it is no weight at all.]

68

THE UPPER WORLDS

(110 - 123)

Including the visible terrestrial world,
the upper worlds are seven in number, the
seventh and the uppermost being ' Satya loka'.

The 'Antariksa loka' begins one lakh
yojanas above the earth. The "Svarga loka is
at an altitude of 50 lakh yojanas. It is
beautiful with divine palatial buildings.
Antariksa loka and Svarga loka are one crore
yojanas breadthwise. Above Svarga loka is
'Mahar loka', at an altitude of 75 lakh yoja-
nas above the former. It is populated by
Siddhas and rsis in large numbers. Above it
is 'Jana loka' at an altitude of 1,12,50,000
yojanas. Then comes 'Tapo loka", 1,68,75,000
higher up. This loka is fully populated
with Siddhas and rsis; and provides abun-
dance of amenities of all kinds. The
three lokas now spoken of - Mahar loka,
Janaloka and Tapoloka, have abodes beautified
with varities of gems in plenty. The extent
of these three lokas is similar, each measu-
ring a third fraction of 50 crore
16,66,66,666 yojanas and 2 krosas.
Putting together the altitudes of all the
lokas spoken of and adding the gaps in
between the adjecent lokas, the total alti-
tude will come to 4,06,25,000 yojanas.

69

Having a simialr distance in between, the
'Satya loka' begins. Therefore, it is at an
altitude of 8,12,50,000 yojanas above
the earth. That is where Brahma's abode is
situated. Its extent is similar to that of
the three lokas beneath it. The Satya loka
itself has an altitude of 4,12,50,000
yojanas. (The total altitude of all the
upper worlds will be 16,25,00,000 yojanas).
The Satya loka of Brahma is snaped like a
tuber at its base. It is somewhat thin in
the middle like a stalk and, at the top, it
spreads out all round like the petals of a
lotus flower. It is very very wide.

The lokas of the universe, being all
shaped to resemble lotus flowers, the whole
thing looks like a huge lotus blooming upon
the Ghanodaka.

[Considering the earth itself, we should take into
account, the pedestal-like Jambuddvipa, the terraced
arrangement of the other six islands and the mountain
ring of Puskara dvipa; and also the other mountain
ranges of the other islands. Then, Bhuloka verily
looks like a huge lotus flower.]

VAIKOKfA LOKA

(129 - 133)

At an altitude, twice that of Satya loka,
there is Visnu loka, which the seers call

•70

Vaikunta. It is at an altitude of
16,25,00,000 yojanas above the earth. Its-
extent is twice that of Brahma's loka. It
is neither created, nor destroyed. Prom its
centre at the base, right upto the shell of
Brahmanda, it measures 8,75,00,000 yojanas.
It is there that the released souls move
about in celestial planes of the non-material
world.

THE BRAHMANDA

(129 - 133)

Measuring from the base of the Meru moun-
tain, upto the shell of Brahmanda above, it
is 25,00,00,000 yojanas. All the lokas
are contained within this range. Upward,
eastward, westward, north or south, or in any
other direction it measures 25 crore yojanas.
This is with reference to the centre at the
base of the Meru mountain. But, putting
together the measurement from the Meru centre
towards the south upto the shell of
Brahmanda, the Brahmanda as a whole measures
fifty crore yojanas every way from end to
end. It is fully round and made of gold.
It's thickness is 100 crore yojanas.

71

THE THREE ABODES OF VISNU

(133 - 149)

Upon the Ghanodaka on the northern side
is the Abode of Visnu, known as 'Anantasana'.

It is Sridevi who is in the form of that
loka where the released souls are. The
learned say that it is at a height of one
lakh yojanas. A similar Abode is in the milk
ocean (Eslra Samudra) at an altitude of one
and a half lakh yojanas with reference to its
neighbouring earth. This Abode is called
' Sveta dvipa ' .

The three Abodes - Vaikunta, Sveta dvipa
and Anantasana are only the forms of Sridevi .
(They are non-material). They are thronged
again and again with limitless numbers of
released souls; and yet, they afford more and
more accomodation. They are never completely
filled up. Even a hall constructed by Visva-"
karma (the architect of gods) is able to
accomodate limitless number of persons and
things. Then, is it any wonder that the
Abodes of Visnu are ever more and more accom-
modative? The belly of a sage (Sage Agastya)
could contain the ocean. As such, the three
Abodes of Visnu certainly possess wonderful
capacity since they are no other than Maha
Laksmi, the source of all abilities. During
the period of 'Maha Pralaya' the released

72

souls enter the womb of Visnu; and there too,
they are happy since their non-material
bodies are just the stuff of joy. During the
period of creation, they return to the said
Abodes. Their joy consists in praising the
Lord's glory - Joy Galore, prostrating at His
feet and looking at His admirable form, often
and often. They also enjoy different kinds
of pleasures - of course, non-material.

The capital city of Vaikunta, Ayodhya by
name, lies within seven fortifications and
only the released souls enter into it. This
city brightens the directions all around on
account of its beautiful terraced quarters,
adorned with wonderful gems. This city area
is called ' Parama Vyoma' - non-material
space. Around this city of Ayodhya flows the
'Viraja' river which rids the souls of the
burdens of their causation bodies (linga
^arlras) when they, take a dip in its waters.
The river is like a moat encircling the city.
No unreleased soul can ever cross it. Upto
the seventh inner gate of the outer fortifi-
cations there is fear of bondage on account
of the ' Pradhana Vyoma' (material sky) there.
Within the bounds of the Viraja river, this
sky is powerless. Hence it is declared in
the Puranas that it does not exist there.
Therefore, the Viraja river is said to flow
betweeen the material sky and the non -
material sky. Brahma takes a dip in that

73

river with the other eligible souls at the
time of release from bondage. The causation
bodies of all of them are got rid off; and
then they get into the inner city, Ayodhya.
Even Brahma goes only upto the seventh gate
of the outer fortification before release; he
does not enter the inner city. Then who else
can ?

[The city of Ayodhya has seven rounds of fortifi-
cation with abodes and inter spaces. These are meant
for the released souls of different grades. Right in
the middle of the quadrangle inside the fortification,
there is Visnu's superb mansion with its three
fortif icatons.

The * jivanmuktas ' (souls who have no need of
rebirth, but are yet with their causation bodies) are
permitted to enter the outer fortifications of
Vaikunta loka and to share the joys thereof. It was
here, at the seventh inner gate, that Jaya and Vijaya
were cursed by the four sages of tender age - Sanaka
and the others. The binding force of Maya is there.
This part of Vaikunta gets destroyed during 'pralaya'
and is reconstructed when a new universe is created. ]

NINE OUTER ENVELOPES

(150 - 152)

The golden Brahmanda is the earthy enve-
lope surrounding the universe. It is one
hundred crore yojanas thick. Surrounding it

74

are nine other envelopes, each ten times
bigger than its inner complement. They are
the envelopes made of the subtle material
principles - water, fire air, sky, ego
(ahamkara tatva), intellect {mahat tatva ) ,
Tamas, Rajas and Satva. The fourteen worlds
of the universe are all contained at the core
of these envelopes. Such is our wonderful
universe. But, with all its envelopes, it is
so tiny that it is not enough to occupy fully
a ''single hair-pit on the body of Lord Sriman
Narayana. Then, who else among the gods can
stand comparison with Him? Let the learned
ones find out.

[The universe, with its ten envelopes (including
the earthy envelope of Brahmanda ) , measures

1000000000050 crore yojanas. If this cannot fully
occupy a hair-pit of Lord Narayana, imagine his
stature! This form of the Lord is known as 'Brihan
Narayana ' . Hence it is said of him "Atyatistat
dasangulam". 'Angula' here means each one of the enve-
lopes. The same Lord Narayana is also in our fore-
brain (cerebrum) with the name 'Vasudeva'. Measuring
from the chin upward with fingers held sideways. He is
above the measure of ten fingers. 1

THE MERO MOUNTAIN
(153 - 163)

The golden Meru mountain is one lakh
yojanas high. It is surrounded by the nine

75

Khandas (Varsas of Jambu dvipa). It is the
abode of Siddhas (souls who have attained a
high degree of perfection). For all measure-
ments concerning the universe, the Meru is
the central point of reference. This moun-
tain is thin at the base and goes on broade-
ning gradually towards its top which is quite
broad. The mountain resembles the ' Unmatta'
flower. At the surface base it has a width
of 16,000 yojanas and it goes down into the
earth to the extent of 16,000 yojanas. From
the base upto the top, the Siddhas and yogis
dwell.

At the top, the mountain has a width of
32,000 yojanas. It is round at the top
and three sided at its base (like the
cornered base of a nail). From the base to
the top the mountain measures 84,000 yojanas.
The circumference at the top is 96,000 yoja-
nas (in round figures). There, in the
middle, is the city of Brahma, known as
'SStakaumbhi' . Its palatial mansions are
beautified with rare gems. The city is
10,000 yojanas long and equally broad.
There, the Gandharva chiefs, the prominent
ones among the Siddhas, sages like Vasista
and gods headed by Indra worship Brahma
seated on the throne of gems. At the edges
of the Meru top there are eight cities of the

76

'" Meru Mountain " with Brahma's abode at the top.

directional gods, one in each of the eight
directions. The Meru mountain supports them
all.

THE RIVER GANGA

(164 - 171)

River Ganga pours down constantly in the
open courtyard of Brahma's palace such
that he might use the waters for his
' Sandhya" vandana' (worshipping Surya
Narayana thrice a day - morning, after-
noon and evening). The other gods there,
also use it. By Brahma's behest the river
Ganga takes four courses to come down to
earth from the Meru top and to purify the
denizens here. Even now we can see it. The
branch ' Slta' joins the sea (Lavana Samudra)
on the east. "Alakananda* pours into
the southern sea and is quite famous as the
purifier of the world. The branch 'Caksu'
reaches the western sea and ' Bhadra' joins
the northern sea. This river purifies those
who use its waters in worshipful manner where
ever they be in the four quarters (of
Jambudvlpa ) . The river was again brought to
our earth in another form by the efforts
of Bhaglratha. This river is called
'Mandakini' in the Himalayas. When it began
to pour down in the Himalayan region, 'Siva
locked it up in the meshes of his knotted
hair. (This was to mitigate the force with

77

which Ganga came down; hence the name
' Mandakini ' ) . Being let down from the

knotted hair and following Bhaglratha the
fresh flow of waters joined the original
course of the river; and after crossing the
point at ' Devaprayaga ' , the river went down
into the bowels of the earth to reach 'Kapila
asrama' in the nether world to sanctify the
ashes of the 60,000 sons of Sagara
cakravarti, burnt down by the angry look of
Sage Kapila.

[The GangS river flows in visible and invisible
forms. ( 'Rupantarena vahati ) , it is also in the form
of the stars of the Milky Way ( 'Aka'sa Ganga')].

ILAVRTA KHANDA

(171 - 183)'

This Khanda (Varsa) spreads around the
Meru base which measures 8000 yojanas from
its centre, in every direction. There are
four supporting mountains on each of the four
sides around the base. These mountains are
each 2000 yojanas wide and 10,000 yojanas
high. Beyond these mountains there is a
stretch of 5000 yojanas, and this makes up
the 9000 yojanas from the Meru base.

The four supporting mountains are
Mandara, Merumandara, Kumuda and Suparsva, in
the four directions commencing from the east.

78

"Ground plan of Jambudvip.

"The Meru at the centre and the nine Varshas lllavnta (Middle)
Bhadrasva (east) Ketumala (West) Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Uttara
Kuru (north) ; Hanvarsha, Kimpurasha Varsha and Bharatha Varsha
(South) ;

There are four gigantic trees on the four
mountains - Cuta (mango), Jambu (rose

apple tree), Plaksa (indian fig) and
Nyagrodha (banyan) respectively. Each of
these trees is 100 yojanas high and the
spread of the branches is to the extent of
1100 yojanas. The fruits of the trees resem-
ble- mountain peaks.

The ripe jambu fruits of the tree upon
Merumandara (south) drop down and the juice
flows as the Jambu river. The juice sprea-
ding on its banks, when dried up, becomes the
finest gold which is known as 'Jambunada'.
The divine beings, who visit this region,
drink the juice and make different kinds of
ornaments for themselves out of 'Jambunada'
(gold).

[Taking into account half of the Meru base and
adding the width of the supporting mountain on any of
the four sides, the total will be 10000 and there
should remain another 7000 yojanas, not 5000, because
the Ilavrta Khanda measures 34,000 yojanas from end to
end. Perhaps, we have to allow a gap of 2000 yojanas
between the Meru base and the supporting mountains
(Krladris) .

We should, however, make provision for another
round of mountains, not mentioned in this text.
According to Srlmad Bhagavatam, there are eight
mountains, each 9000 yojanas long; and two of them

79

placed on each side. Since they are compared to the
'Kusa' grass bundles put around the sacrifical altar,
each of the two mountains should be in a continuous
line, with' some gap or no gap between them. Evidently
their location is within the range of 5000 yojanas
indicated above.

Srlmad Bhagavatam is the authoritative text which
tells us about Cosmography; and information gathered
from any other source should be in accordance with it.
That is what Acarya Madhva says

"Yatha bhagavatetu uktam bhauvanam

ktfsa laksanam,
Tasya avirodhato yojyam

anya granthantare sthitam" ]

In this Varsa we find only the fair sex
moving about day and night. No male person
enters it for fear of Bhavanidevi * s curse.
If any one trespasses, he is transformed into
female form like Ila, the son of Manu, The
female attendants of Gaurldevi are one
hundred million ('arbuda') in number, "Siva,
along with Gaurldevi, worships the form of
Lord Samkarsana, one of the * caturmurtis •
Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna and Anirud-
dha. Lord Samkarsana is the SUN % brightening
the hearts of yogis.

This Ilavrta Varsa is bounded by four
mountains on the four sides. On the eastern

80

side is the Gandhamadana mountain stretching
between Nlla and Nisadha mountains. It is
2000 yojanas in width. Of the same width, on
the southern side, is the Nisadha mountain.
It stretches from the eastern ocean upto the
western. (This refers to the Lavana Samudra
around Jambudvipa). On the western side is
the Malyavan mountain, lying between Nlla and
Nisadha even like the Gandhamadana. On the
northern side of Ilavrta is the Nxla moun-
tain, as wide and as long as Nisadha.
Siddhas inhabit these mountains.

BHADRASVA KHANDA

(183 - 193)

The eastern part of Jambudvipa is occu-
pied by only one Varsa, the Bhadrasva. It
stretches upto the ocean on the east.
Bhadrasravas, the son of Dharma, is there
worshipping Lord Hayagriva; and he is the
ruler of that Varsa. It is fully populated
with his subjects. There are two other boun-
dary mountains within the Khanda - Jatara and
Devakuta, to the east of Gandhamadana. The
two mountains extend between Nila and
Nisadha, each being 2000 yojanas wide and
18 TO 00 yojanas long. Barring the space occu-
pied by the three mountain ranges
(Gandhamadana, Jatara and Devakuta) the
Bhadrasva Varsa measures 27 thousand yojanas
from west to east. Although Bhadrasva is a

81

single Varsa, the two extra mountain barriers
mentioned, have ^een created by the
Omnicient Lord to maintain symmetry on all
the four sides. A similar arrangement is
there in the western Varsa. With the two

*

additional mountain ranges the Bhadrasva
Khanda is divided into three stretches, each
nine thousand yojanas in width. It should be
thus construed because xt is said in the
texts that each of the nine Khandas of
■Jambudvipa is 9000 yojanas in width.
Symmetry is thus maintained.

THE THREE SOUTHERN VARSAS

(193 - 208)

To the south of the mighty Nisadha moun-
tain lies the Hari Varsa Khanda. It is 9000
yojanas wide. Here the great devotee,
PrahlSda and the denizens of the Varsa wor-
ship the Narasimha form of the Supreme Lord.
The boundary mountain on the south is
Hemakuta , 2000 yojanas wide and 10,000 yoja-
nas high. (Its length is 10% less than
that of Nisadha. Therefore, it is 90,000
yojanas in length).

To the south is Kimpurusa Varsa, 9000
yojanas in width. It is bounded on its south
by the Himavan mountain, similar to Hemakuta
in breadth and height. The length is less by
10,000 yojanas (in round figures) on account

82

C3

•c

of the circular shape of Jambudvipa and the
ocean surrounding it. Along with the inhabi-
<*&&£&" of "the Varsa, Hanuman (the greatest of
devotees) Worships Sri Ramacandra, Lord of
sltadevi .

Then comes Bharata Varsa (to the
south of the Himavan mountain), having the
same width as that of the neighbouring Varsa.
It stretches upto the ocean on the southern
side. This is the Varsa that provides oppor-
tunities for human beings to earn merit.

On a peak of the Himavan mountain, the
sacred 'Badarikasrama' is situated. Here,
Narayana with Nara (Lord Nara-Narayana) is
worshipped by expert yogis. Sage Narada and
the seven rsis too worship Nara-Narayana, day
after day. It is here too that the Lord in
the form of Vedavyasa is served by Acarya Sri
Madhva, the third 'avatara' of Sri Vayudeva.
There are many other 'munis' following his
example .

In between the boundary mountains, each
of the three Varsas is 9000 yojanas in width.
The same concept holds good in the cases of
the three northern Vargas also. If it is not
thus conceived, the measurement of 50,000
yojanas on every side from the Meru centre
cannot be maintained. If the Ilavrta Varsa
is taken to measure 34,000 yojanas, each of

83

the two varsas on its sides gets 27 , 000
yojanas allowing space for the boundary
mountains. The same concept holds good in
the cases of the three northern and the three
southern varsas, each being 9000 yojanas wide
and the boundary mountains occupying 2000
yojanas each.

(9x3+2x3= 33 thousand).

[The Himavan mountain referred to is the boundary
mountain between Kimpurus.a Varsa and Bharata Vars.a -
2000 yojanas wide, 10,000 yojanas high and 80,000
yojanas long. But, the Himalaya mountain with which
we are familiar is only 50 yojanas (300 miles) wide, 1
yojana (5.5 miles) high, and 330 yojanas (2000 miles)
long. Its location is in ' Dandakaranya • of
Bharata Khanda, which forms just a big lump at the
edge of Bharata Varsa, which has a width of 9000
yojanas (60000 miles in round figures). The Badari-
kasrama and the Kilas in our Himalaya are only mini
prototypes. Then, when it is said that Acarya Sri
Madhva flew off from Anu Badari to Maha Badari, it
means that he took a jump from our Himalaya to the
bigger Himalaya covering a distance of 96,000 k.m.
This is nothing to be marvelled at in the case of our
Acarya who is the avatar of Vayudeva, who enters into
every one of the activities of this universe.]

84

- ? t:

*V ' '•'■ 41111

KETUMALA VARSA
(208 -213) *

On the western part of Jambu dvlpa there
^---pnly one varsa, the Ketumala {resembling
the Bhadrasva on the east). This extends
upto the sea on its west. Here, Lord Visnu
is worshipped with the name 'Kamadeva'. He
is ' like crores of 'Manmathas' combined in
oip- (Manmatha and his spouse Ratldevi are
"well-known for beauty). Our Lord's beauty is
par-excellence .

The life-span of man on earth is limited
to 36,000 days and 36,000 nights. There are
as many (72,000) daughters of Brahma, lording
the life-courses of human beings. They serve
Sri Ramadevi who worships her Lord Kamadeva
with 'mantras' of which she is the life
spirit and the meanings of which she is
fully aware.

Here too, as in Bhadrasva Varsa, there
are two extra mountains in proper positions,
maintaining the 9000 yojanas measure regar-
ding the widths of the Varsas. Pavana and
Pariyatra are the two mountains. Lord Sri
Hari has created them to make the island look
symmetrically beautiful.

[The last sentence of the above Paragraph speaks
of the artistic sense of Saint Sri Vadiraja; and it
also pays a humble tribute to Sri Maha Visnu, the
Artist of artists.]

THE THREE NORTHERN VARSAS

(214 - 224)

To the north of the Nila mountain is the
Ramyaka Varsa. This is also 9000 yojanas in
width, Here, Vaivasvata Manu and the sages
of the Varsa worship Lord Sriman Narayana in
His 'Matsya' (fish) form. The boundary moun-
tain on the north is ''Sveta'. It extends
between the eastern and the western oceans;
and its length is 1/10 less than that of the
Nila mountain. Width is simialr.

To its north is the "Hiranmaya Varsa' and
its northern boundary is formed by
•Sringavan' mountain. It also extends
between sea and sea and is comparable to the
'Sveta' mountain in this respect. But its
length is 10% less than that of '"Sveta'.
There are many Siddhas and rsis here. In
this Varsa the Supreme Lord is worshipped in
His Tortoise form (Kurma) by Aryama, the
chief among manes, and by the other
inhabitants.

86

Beyond Hiranmaya Vars,a is the Uttara Kuru
Varsa, inhabited by divine beings and rsis.
It extends upto the ocean on the north. With
reference to its boundary mountain ISringavan,
this Varsa also has an extent of 9000 yoja-
nas. It is like its counter-part - Bharata
Var§a on the south. Here, Lord Sri Narayana
is always worshipped in His Yajna Varaha
(Boar) form by Bhudevi and the occupants of
the Varsa.

Hari varsa and the other two to the south
of Ilavrta varsa are similar to Ramyaka,
Hiranmaya and Uttara kuru on the northern
side. Each ot these six varsa> extends from
occen to occen, lengthwise.

[When it is said of a few mountains that they are
inhabited by Siddhas and rsis, it is indicative of the
fact that all other mountain regions are similarly the
abodes of sagely persons. In fact, there is not an
inch of space in this universe which is not made use
of for some purpose or the other. Every mountain,
every valley, every river has its own presiding deity
with assistants to provide amenities to the devotees
of God. ]

FOUR OTHER MINOR MOUNTAINS
(224-227)

On the eastern side of Himadri there is
another Kailasa mountain where resides the

87

three-eyed god Isiva, spouse of Umadevi. On
the western side of Himavan there is the
Karavira mountain. In the same way there are
two mountains on each side of Srngav5n to
the east and to the west. They are Trsrnga
and Makara. Here too there are siddhas and
rsis in large numbers. With these four
mountains the Meru appears to be strong with
four arms.

[Mention of Kailasa as a seperate mountain where
■feiva resides with Umadevi reminds us that feiva's abode
is in several parts of the universe/ discharging
various functions to bless the beings and to earn
merit for himself to a very high degree. He resisdes
at the Kailasa peak of the Himalayas of Bharatadesa,
at the Kailasa mountain right now mentioned, at the
foot of the Meru mountain and Tapoloka above. We
should know that he resides in all these places simul-
taneously and not frequently. Divine personage are
capable of being at different places at the same time
with their fractional spiritual parts, having the
fullness of the original for all purposes.]

LAVAMA SAMUDRA
(227-229)

— i T

The Jambudvipa is vast containing as it
does the nine varsas. Having the golden Meru
mountain at its centre, it is the midmost
island, with a diameter of one lakh yojanas.
It is surrounded by the • Lavana

88

Sarnudra '( Ocean of brackish water), the width
of which is also one lakh yojanas (six lakh
miles in round figures,)

[Before proceeding further to learn about the
other six islands surrounding Jambudvipa, it is neces-
sary to have a clear concept of Bharata Varsa and
Bharata Khanda which form parts of that island. We
know that Bharata Varsa is the southernmost division
with the bigger Himalaya as its northern boundary and
having a width of 9000 yojanas (55,000 miles).

Jambudvipa should be considered as being basket-
like in shape for obvious reasons. It has an alti-
tude of one lakh yojanas. This statement may be
supported by the following argument -

The island is circular. The orbits of the sun and
the moon are almost in line with the Equator of
Bharata Khanda, our globe. This is corroborated by
the words of Srimad Bhagavatam which speaks of the
sun's 'Udagayana' (northern course), * Daksinayana '
(southern course) and 'Vaisuvadayana' (course corres-
ponding to the celestial equator). The orbit of Rahu
is said to be 10,000 yojanas (60,000 miles) lower than
that of the sun. Birds like garuda (white-breasted
eagle) and swan and syena (hawk) are said to fly in
regions still farther down below. All these are not
possible if the entire earth, 30,0000000 miles wide,
should be entirely flat. It must therefore have
higher and lower parts, Jambudvipa being at the
highest level. Our globe, Bharata Khanda, is percked

at the southern edge of the basket-like Jambudvxpa.
It is not a planet going round the sun. This concept
is substantiated by the statement of one, Sri
Anantharamu of Bangalore, who had joined the crew of
the first Indian Antarctic expedition. He says that
the south pole region projects downwards like a cone.
He also says that this region has not been properly
surveyed. Therefore it is indeed a fiat lie to say
that the south pole region is slightly flat like north
pole region. ]

THE OTHER SIX ISLANDS

(230 -241)

Surrounding the Lavana Samudra there is
the 'Plaksa' island (which is so called

m

because it abounds with Plaksa trees - indian
fig trees of gigantic size). It is double
the width of the ocean of brackish waters
(two lakh yojanas). Of similar width is the
•Iksu Samudra' (ocean of waters with the
taste of sugarcane juice) around Plaksadvlpa.
It is populated by Siddhas (the highly quali-
fied souls). Around it is the "Salmala dvipa,
four lakh yojanas in width and the 'Sura
Samudra' (of wine-like waters), of the same
width, spreads around it. After that is
' Kusadvlpa' (where Kusa grass clusters grow
very very tall like blazing pillars). It has
double the width of 'Salmala dvipa'. It is
surrounded by 'Sarpi Samudra' (ocean of
waters with the qualities of ghee) having the

90

Si

-o

c

w

T3

same width. Then we have * Krauncha dvipa'
(which derives its name from the mountain of
the same name). This island and the 'Dadhi
Samudra' (with waters of yogurt quality) have
double the widths of their inner complements.
Each of these is 16 lakh yojanas wide. The
next is ''Saka dvipa' surrounded by 'Kslra
Samudra 1 / (ocean of milk-like waters), each
32 lakh yojanas in width. The last of the
seven islands is ' Puskara dvipa' (island of
huge lotus flowers of gold), 64 lakh yojanas
wide. It is surrounded by the ocean of pure
waters - 'Subhodaka Samudra" having the same
width. The entire earth is surrounded by the
land of gold - "Hema bhumi', along with the
adjoining land of diamond - 'Vajralepa'. The
LokSloka mountain goes round the whole
stretch of earth described so far. The limit
of the earth is marked by this mountain ring.
In this way the earth spreads round the Meru
centre on all sides and it is there to
provide all the needs of living beings
including the divine class, the sages, the
manes, the sovereigns as well as human
beings. This earth provides happy conditions
to one and all. The presiding goddess,
'Bhudevi* is most dear to Lord Sri Narayana.
The earth is plentiful with all kinds of
plant life and holy forests, crowded with the
hermitages of 'munis' (sages). Rivers with
SB|^, waters are also there. Mother earth
kee^s itefce living beings happy and contented.

91

There are rich mines containing precious and
useful metals and the rarest gems. It is for
this reason that the earth gets its name
'Vasundhara' . She is indeed the mother of
the world displaying proverbial quality of
forbearance. Being seated on the lap of Lord
Varaha, she looks quite pretty.

[Saint Sri Vadiraja has given a breif but precise
description of the features of Brahmanda, not with a
view to duplicate the details found elsewhere; but it
is to say things without leaving room for doubts
regarding locations, measurements and such other
things. The way in whick the text is prepared indi-
cates that there must have been a good deal of confu-
sion in the minds of the learned men of his days. He
has removed misapprehensions in the clearest manner.
In a concluding verse he himself says that it is so.
"Vakyartha kathana vyifja't bhugolam iti varnitam" . ]

KALA CAKRA {THE TIME WHEEL)

(242 - 256)

The limitless Time (Mahakala) is rendered
possible to be reckoned by the human beings
since it is made countable as 'ghatika', day
and night, 'Paksa' (fortnight), 'Masa'
(month), 'R^tu* (season) and 'Ayana* (course
of six months) and, finally 'Varsa' (year).
The wonder-working Lord has formed this *K31a
Cakra' in order to create facility for the
courses of the nine planets, the Rasis

•a?

(constellations of stars), the 'Taras'
(stars), the seven sages (Saptarsis) and the
divine, dazzling star-like vehicles of
Gandharvas, Siddhas and the merited human
souls. The courses are located differently
in space and the Lord holds them all in their
courses at all times. The courses are all
circular at different distances and alti-
tudes, and they look quite brilliant with the
lustre of rare gems. The courses are
thousands and thousands of yojanas apart.
The wheels of the 'Kala Cakra' are twelve
nine for the nine Planets, one for the
'Saptarsis', one for the stars and one
for the 'Rasis' (constellations). The
knowers of scriptures call this as 'Kala
Cakra 1 . Since the 'Hemanta' and the
'Sisira* seasons are considered together,
the Cakra is considered as having five
spokes; and, with reference to the twelve
months, it is also said to be having twelve
spokes .

Since the mechanism helps the counting of
time divisions, it is known as 'Kala Cakra*.
The 'Vamana sukta' speaks of 'Dvada'sara' and
■Panc5ra' only for the said reason. This
Kala Cakra extends over crores of yojanas in
the wide wide sky.

Above the Meru mountain, the Supreme
Lord, in the form of '%imsumara" (the scorpion

93

form) stands to a Height of 36 lakh yojanas,
with his pretty face turned downward and his
tail end held up to -touch the 'Dhruva
Mandala 1 (Pole star orbit). The body of

this form is ringed in the middle and the
tail part goes up. The brilliance of this
form of Lord "Simsumara is much more than that
of a thousand suns. It is He who makes the
Time Wheel to go round and round as if it is
a part of Himself. The main shaft-like
powerline has its starting point atop the
Meru mountain and extends outward to the
extent of crores of yojanas.

[Although Time is an abstract concept, yet it is
some thing. According to Grammar, whatever can be
thought of and named is a thing; it need not necessa-
rily be material by nature. As such. Time is some-
thing although it cannot be perceived by our external
senses as material objects are perceived. Modern
thinkers say that it has no local standing except in
the relative sense of being taken into account as
deciding the order of events as past, present and
future. But, even as they themselves predict, the
present universe will meet its end only to recreate
itself. That means that the order of events, parts
and wholes, continue to be and they have their pasts,
presents and futures. Therefore, the sense of Time is
eternal. If the concept of Time were not seperate
from the events, we could only think of events and not
of their sequence. Therefore eternal! ty, in its
abstract sense (apart from events), is undivided and

94

inconceivable; but yet, it is there. It is known as
'Maha Kala'. This Maha Kala cannot be recognised as
such by us; but, the Omnicient eternal Co-ordinator of
all things knows it as some thing that is.

Even during the period of 'Maha Pralaya", when the
present universe is consumed and another is yet to be
created, the things to be created - causal matter and
spritual entities, remain in the womb of 'Bala Krsna "
lying upon the banyan leaf like an innocent child.
Mukhya Prana, the would-be Brahma, carries on the
function of respiration in the spiritual bodies of the
other souls, who are awaiting further courses of trai-
ning for liberation. The process of respiration is
by repeating 'Hamsa mantra',; not by means of physical
air. When Mukhya Prana completes 21,600 repetitions
of the mantra, it covers a duration equal to one human
day of 24 hours. Thus Mukhya Prana too knows the
passing of Time by the grace of the Supreme Lord - The
Co-ordinator of all. The period of 'Maha Pralaya* is
recognised as being equal to the life-span of a
Brahma, which is known as 'Para' (864,0000000 x 360 x
100 human years ) . With reference to the Supreme
Being, ParaBrahma, this 'Para' period is something
like a night of 12 hours. When this night is nearing
its end, when an hour and a half is still remaining,
(12 1/2 years of Brahma's life-span), Srldevi, the
eternal spouse of Lord Sri KEr^yana, assumes her
'Durga' form and praises the Lord with the hymns of
'Srutigita' entreating the Lord to begin the creation
of a new world for the sake of the souls to be
released. Oh, how kind is that Mother of the universes I

95

During the period of creation, the same Maha
Kala, running like a continuous stream, presents
itself to be recognised in the form of the Time Wheel
giving room for the movements of the planets and
enabling human beings to take note of the passing of
time in its fractional parts like moments and its
wholes like hours, days, months and years. Thus we
see that Time is a seperate abstract something,
flowing eternally like a stream, during the passage of
which events occur. Therefore Time is not dependent
on its relation to the occurence of events. In fact,
in a way, every thing else depends upon Time; or. Time
is almost synonymous with the Will of God. It is the
Will of God that orders the events of the universe.

The grand-old-sire, Bhismacarya, pointed out at
Sri Krsna sitting with the Pandavas before him as he
himself lay resting upon the bed of arrows, and said
to Dharmaraya, "the events of this world are all
ordered by the Time factor and that is no other than
the charming personality of Krsna sitting before us.

It is also interesting to note that 'Mukhya PrSna'
and 'Garuda 1 , born of him, are also in charge of
'Kala' (Time) and they too go by the name 'Kala'.
There is yet another who goes by that name; and that
is * Yamadharma ' , god of death. He knows when to send
for the living beings to have a tryst with himl

In the description of the KSla Cakra given by
Saint Sri Vadiraja we see that there are star-like
devine vehicles distinct from the 27 star groups and

96

the constellations. They are said to be crores and
crores in number and crores and crores of yojanas
apart. Certainly, our Saint did not use a modern
telescope, nor did he use electronic methods for
computing numbers and distances. Yet, here is the
truth about heavenly bodies. Vedic information is
correct. Modern findings, though approximating Vedic
truth, are nevertheless faulty to a large extent.
Suppose a star-like vehicle of a Gandharva king's
servant is following the starlike vehicle of the
Master. The two being different in brilliance, how
can the scientist distinguish them precisely?
Evidently his calculations will be erroneous.

The mention of 'Dhruva mandala' suggests that the
seemingly motionless Pole star has its own very small
local orbit. The word 'Mandala' is suggestive.

Scientists do not know how the celestial bodies
acquired their motions at unimaginable velocities.
They simply call it 'constant velocity*. Why and how,
they cannot tell.

But_, as the wise Einstein has opined, there must
be a universal coordinating spirit directing the
events of this universe with their spatio-temporal
relationships. Here is the actual description of the
coordinating factor.

Lord timsumara, with head down and tail up, turns
round and round like a gymnast right above the Meru
axis and, projecting shaft-like power lines from His

97

body and with power lines from Pole Star Point,
-controls the movements of all celestial bodies. Lord
Simsumara gradually lifts the Kala Cakra up during a
period of six months and lowers it during the next six
months making the Sun's chariot cross the Equator
northward and southward, as also making the moon and
the Rahu planet to keep pace with the sun. The
seasons occur for this reason; and the earth need not
go round the sun with inclined axis as the too clever
Copernicus suggested.

Srlmad Bhagavatam clearly points out how the Time
Wheel is lifted and lowered when it speaks of
' Udagayana • ( the northern course ) , * Daksinayana ' ( the
southern course) and ' Vaisuvadayana' (equatorial
course). 'Vis^huvad rekha' means the Equator. This
also suggests that Bharata Khanda is indeed globular
in shape.

The same V Canto of Srlmad Bhagavatam tells us
about the extensions of 'Candra mandala' and 'Rahu
mandala' saying that the extension in the case of the
Sun is 10,000 yojanas; and it is 12,000 (dvadasa), in
the case of the moon and 13,000 (trayodasa) _in the
case of Rahu. Pandits misconstrued the words
'dvadasa' and ' trayodasa ' . Vijayadhvaja acarya, an
authoritative commentator, following the verdict of
Acarya Sri Madhva, has said that 'dvadafea' means
•dvida'sa' - twice ten, i.e. twenty; and ■trayoda'sa'
means 'tridasa' - thrice ten or thirty. Pandits also
made the mistake of confusing the word 'mandala' to
me*' the orb instead of its orbit.

98

The correct interpretation is as follows
- The extension of' the sun's course is 5000 yojanas to
the north of the celestial Equator and 5000 yojanas to
the south of it. Hence the extension of 'Surya
mandala' is said to be 10,000 yojanas. Similarly, to
keep pace with the sun in the northern and the
southern courses, the extension of the moon's course
is 10,000 yojanas up and 10,000 yojanas down, and the
extension of Rahu's course is 15,000 north and 15,000
soutrh. (Some say it is 20,000 and 20,000 - 'dviguna').

Apart from the annual northern and southern
courses, the moon has also northern and southern
courses every fortnight. This may be seen by any one
by observing the moon's position in the sky night
after night.]

THE MAIN WHEEL (DHARA) OF KALA CAKRA

(257 - 265)

There is one horizontally placed wheel of
gold (not the gross material gold with which
we are familiar), located just above the
Mansottara ' mountain in Puskara dvxpa, the
outermost of the seven islands. This wheel
always goes round and round and it is meant
to take the entire Kala Cakra with it.

[Every heavenly body has its own wheel forming
part of the Kala Cakra to go round along with it, but
with varying velocity. The entire Kala Cakra may be

99

compared to an open umbrella with its apex at the Pole
Star and its base at the main wheel.

Saint Sri Vadiraja refutes the arguments of the so
called learned men of his days who maintained that the
said main wheel was meant for the sun's movement only.
He argues how it would be possible for one and the
same wheel to go both slow and fast at the same time.
Therefore, he says, that the sun's chariot has a wheel
of its own apart from the main wheel of the Kala Cakra
which is meant to take the entire mechanism with it.
Since it is studded with stars and star-like bodies,
it is known as ' Jyotiscakra ' . This wheel moves
because Lord SimsumSra moves it. ]

Our saint asks, "How can the horses
running upon the main wheel, dragging the
sun's chariot, also make the wheel to move
with them? Also, how can we account for the
slower movement of the sun's chariot as com-
pared to the faster movement of the Time
Wheel? In the world of mechanical devices we
are familiar with two wheels - one horizontal
and the other verticle upon it for two kinds
of movements simultaneously. The same rule
should be applied here also.

[Should we not marvel at the engineering knowledge
displayed by our saint? It is from the Vedic store;
not from modem scientific findings and appliances. ]

100

The movement of the sun's chariot is
similar to the movements of the other celes-
tial chariots - those of the planets, the
stars and the like. Every one of these
chariots has its own circular golden path
befitting it. 3

THE SUN'S CHARIOT
(266 - 295)

Upon the main wheel of the Kala Cakra
runs the sun's chariot drawn by seven horses.
This chariot has only one wheel and its
course upon the Kala Cakra is right above the
Mansottara mountain ring. This is also of
gold, brightening every direction with the
brilliance of gems. The diameter of the
circular course is many many yojanas and it
is held dear by Lord Sri Hari.

The Kala Cakra or Jyoti'scakra is compara-
ble to a huge chariot; and it is motivated by
Sri Hari in His "Simsumara form. Day after
day it moves with great velocity, having the
Meru mountain at the centre. This Kala Cakra
covers a distance of nine crore and fifty one
lakh yojanas every day, taking the stars and
planets along with it. The changes in seasons
- cold, warm and hot, occur on account of
this Jyoti's cakra. (This is due to the
northern and the southern courses manipulated

101

by the lifting and lowering of the Time Wheel
by the tail end of Lord 'Simsumara) . Because
of the three seasonal changes effected, this
Cakra is said to consist of three sections of
its hub ( * Trinlbhi ' } . This Cakra (main

wheel) itself is made to run without the need
of horses to draw it; hence it is called
'Anarva' (Horseless). But, as it makes use
of seven modes of learning, it is also said
to be drawn by seven horses (This is in a
metaphorical sense); and the seven horses are
also considered as one. The Cakra is said to
be drawn by seven horses or seven-in-one
because of its fast motion resembling the
gallop of horses. But it should be

remembered that this Cakra (main wheel) is
different from the sun's chariot which is
indeed drawn by seven horses.

[This description shows evidently that Saint Sri
Vadiraja is refuting the wrong view held by the other
pandits who were confusing the Kala Cakra with the
sun's chariot. Another point to note is this - It
is said that the main wheel of the Kala Cakra, upon
which the sun's chariot runs, covers 9 crore 51 lakh
yojanas in a day. It means that the circumference of
the wheel is also 9,51,00000 yojanas. Therefore, its
radius will be 9,50,00000 miles in round figures
(9,51,00000 x 6.06 / (21/7) x 1/2 ); and the distance
between us and the sun is the same. Compare this with
the modern astronomical figure, 9,30,00000 miles. Is
it not something to wonder at?

102

Our saint anticipates objections and gives proper
answers as can be seen in the following explanation.]

The Kala Cakra extends from the Meru
centre to the mid part of the Manasottara
mountain and reaches right upto the Pole star
above. The 'Svetadvipa Abode' of Lord Sri
Narayana is located in the Milk ocean, within
the bounds of the Cakra. The objection would
be, *How can the Cakra pass through the Abode
of Svetadvipa without obstruction?' The
answer is that just as the all-pervasive
Visnu (the proprietor of the sky and the sky
itself, it being known as 'Visnupada' ) does
not obstruct the movements of the heavenly
bodies, so also the Svetadvipa Abode stands as
no obstruction.

GHATIKA ASP MDHURTA

(277 - 288)

The statement that day and night are
equal to thirty, thirty means that they are
equal to the periods of thirty 'ghatikas'
each. In word-compounding in Sanskrit
language there is what is known as 'Lupta
madhyama samasa' - missing the middle term in
compounding the words. (Similar is the case
in question. The missing word is to be
understood from the context. Therefore,
'thirty' here means thrity ghatikas). A
'ghatika* , then, will be equal to 24 minutes

{12 x 60 /30 ). The 'ghatika' concept is
there to arrive at the concept of 'Muhurta'
which is recknoed for going through auspi-
cious rituals (2 1/2 ghatikas = 1 Muhurta.
24 x 2 1/2 = 60 minutes. Here we find the 24
hours-a-day concept). It is thus to be
conceived cleverly, not simply clinging to
the word meaning. This is the verdict of the
Divine Lord Vedavyasa.

This almost equal division of day and
night of 30 ghatikas each is true only when
the sun is in conjunction with the 'Tula 1
(Libra) and the 'Mesa' (Aries) constella-
tions. These two months do not clearly
witness the increase or decrease in the
durations of day or night. During the months
'Tula* (Libra) and 'Mesa' (Aries), a day
consists of 12 muhurtas; and twelve muhurtas
make a night. When the sun's position goes
on changing towards the upper five or the
lower five constellations, the durations of
days and nights also vary. It is for this
reason that Sri "Suka Maharsi said in Srlmad
Bhagavatam that the twelve muhurta concept
should not be applied to months other than
'Tula 1 (Libra) and 'Mesa' (Aries).

[For tho&e in the northern hemisphere, duration of
day time goes on increasing as the sun migrates
northward from one *r5si* to the other, commencing
from 'Vrsabha' (Taurus); and the duration of nights

104

increases as the sun goes southward, commencing from
5 Vr scika * ( Scorpio ) .

Here we have the clearest indication to say that
our ancients knew our part of the earth to be a globe;
and that was unlike the Greeks of Ptotemy's time who
considered it to be flat and round like a rupee coin.
However they were not entirely wrong because the wide
wide earth upto the sweet-water ocean 'iSuddhodaka
Samudra" - a stretch of 30 crore miles, is certainly
round like a rupee coin although not fully flat. The
Greeks and the other learned men of the Middle Bast
had forgotten all about this wide invisible expanse of
the earth and they mistook our part of the globular
earth to be flat. Why r for that matter, even most of
the oriental pandits of our own times have such wrong
notions. They must revise their opinions by learning
to read between lines. How this should be done, I
will illustrate with two examples.

(1) Jambudvipa should be considered as being basket-
like in shape because, it is said that the sun,
the moon and the stars do not shed their lights in
the Ilavrta Varsa, the middle most region.

(2) The moon's chariot should be located not too far
from our globe as in the case of the sun just
because it is said that its course is one lakh
yojanas above that of sun. Srimad Bhagavatam
clearly states that the moon's chariot is ab ov e
the rays of the sun, not above the sun.

105

But our pandits miss the meaning of the words 'arka
gabhastibhyah uparistat 1 , meaning, above the rays of
the sun. ]

MOVEMENTS OF TELE PLANETS

(288 - 294)

The Sun's chariot covers a distance of
34,00800 yojanas in a muhurta, this being its
velocity day after day. In this way, the
total distance covered will be 8,16,20000
yojanas (to the nearest thousand).

[However, this still falls short of the distance
covered by the supporting wheel of the Kala Cakra,
which is 9,51,00,000 yojanas. This falls short by
1,33,80,000 yojanas. But the position of the sun with
reference to the constellations will be just 1 degree
behind. The Kala Cakra will have gone 1 degree
further than its starting point along with the
constellations when the sun reaches the starting point
in 24 hours. This is like a person walking forth in a
moving train, in the the same direction, from the last
carriage upto the first one near the engine. Let us
say he will have covered 1000 feet by walking. But,
actually, he will have covered the distance

travelled by the train plus the distance covered by
walking. If he were just sitting in the last

carriage, he would have covered only, say, five miles
when the train had covered that distance and stopped.
But, in the said instance, he will have covered five
miles, plus 1000 feet*]

106

o
o

o
E
©

<o

5

o

This is what Sri 'Suka Maharsi has said
about the lagging of the sun's chariot.
Hence there is no contradiction involved in
his statement.

The sun's chariot, along with 'Aruna 1 and
the seven horses, is at an altitude of one
lakh yojanas above the earth. Moving slower
than the Kala Cakra, the sun touches the
constellations behind, gradually, one after
the other. The constellations move faster,
almost with the same velocity as that of the
Kala Cakra. They too lag to a slight extent,
but the sun's lagging is perceivably more.
This is known as 'Vamagati* (retrograde
motion) . The sun takes one month to cover
each constellation by the retrogression, as
it were .

THE OTHER PLANETS

(295 - 309)

The moon's motion being much slower than
that of the sun, it remains far behind the
sun every day; and by its quick retrogression
every constellation is covered just in 2 1/2
days. The velocity of the moon's chariot,
therefore, exceeds that of the sun to far as
retrograde motion is concerned.

107

'Guru' (Jupiter) takes one year to cross
each constellation by retrogression.
Similarly, "'Sani 1 (Saturn) takes two years to
touch each successive constellation behind.
Its velocity being slower than that of the
other six planets, the name ''Sanaiscara *
(slow-mover) is appropriate.

In this way, the movements of the planets
are said to be in the backward direction.
(But, that is with reference to the constel-
lations). This backward movement resembles
that of an ant going round upon an oil
machine wheel in the same direction. During
every round it finds itself more and more
backward with reference to the hub at the
centre. (The fact to be noted is that the ant
does not move backward; but it only falls
behind; and this is like going backward with
reference to a companion starting at the same
point as another, but out-stripping the
latter and making that other to fall behind).

If all the planets really move in the
backward direction, at sunrise we can see the
back of the Sun god instead of his front; and
how then is it possible to offer him 'arghya'
(water fto wash his hands)? Therefore, the
movements of the planets must be understood
only as explained by us. It is in agreement
with what is said in Srlmad Bhagavatam,
stating that the Sun keeps the Meru mountain

both to his right and to his left as he moves
upon the Kala Cakra in the same direction.
We should also know that the deities of the
planets do not misbehave by circumambulating
Lord 'simsumSra in the wrong direction. They
do certainly go one full round along with the
Kala Cakra every day, keeping the Lord (and
the Meru below) to their right. -They also
fall behind with reference to the Kala Cakra
itself on account of their lagging; and this
is as if they are keeping the Lord to their
left.

A thick shaft of gold, projecting from
the Pole star point, holds the mechanism of
the Kala Cakra in position without allowing
it to drop down upon the earth.

The deities in charge of the constella-
tions, who determine the 'ghatikas*, have
greater velocities while moving upon the Time
Wheel; but the planets are prone to fall
behind.

PLANETS RAHD AND KETD
(309 - 320)

The Rahumandala (the route of Ra.hu' s
circuit) is situated upon tne lowest wheel of
the Kala Cakra, at an altitude of 90,000
yojanas above the earth (10,000 yojanas below
the level of the sun's path). The planet
Ketu, with a hundred tail-like projections.

109

is also at the same spot (It is as if the two
planets are twins whose bodies are joined
together, back-to-back). The glorious Lord
cut off the head of the demon Rahu (as also
the head of Ketu) when he attempted to share
nectar stealthily at the time of
'Amrtamanthan' . The heads of the two demons
have occupied the status of planets having
just tasted a few drops of nectar. They are
there only to torment the sun and the moon.
However, their spiritual presence in the
planets is negligible. The oblations offered
to Rahu and Ketu are accepted by divine
presences dwelling in those two planets; and
the Lord Himself accepts the offerings
through those divine presences and blesses
the worshippers.

The Sun's route lies on a different wheel
of the Kala Cakra, one lakh yojanas above the
earth. He is there to bless the world with
his bright auspicious rays. On another
wheel, one lakh yojanas still higher, the
moon moves upon its own path.

On the occasions of eclipses, the sun and
the moon face each other, moving as they do
on their own paths. On the new-moon day they
are towards the same constellation; and on
full-moon days too, they face each other
being exactly towards opposite constella-
tions. If Rahu also takes position at similar

110

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longitudes, then an eclipse takes place. What
is known as 'Pancagraha yoga*, also happens
under similar conditions (Five planets ranged
towards a common constellation).

[Rahu is a black planet below the level of our
pact of the earth. Ketu is dark-brown in colour.
Their path is 10,000 yojanas lower than the path of
the sun; not exactly down below the sun. Similarly
the^ moon is one lakh yojanas higher; but not right
above the sun. According to the Puranas, the moon's
path lies above the ' Lavana Samudra ' surrounding
Jambudvlpa. It is thus to be construed because it is
said that there is an island called ' Candradvlpa ' ,
within the area covered by the moon's orbit, 4000
yojanas away from JambCdvipa and that it is 1000
yojanas wide. It is also said that the GangS waters
coming down from the cleft in Brahmanda, washing the
uplifted left foot of Lord Trivikrama, reached the
several upper worlds and ultimately touched the top of
the Meru mountain; and as it did so, it covered the
' Candra mandala ' , which extends downward from the
breast of Lord Simsumara and covers the area enclosed
by the moon's orbit. This would be possible only if
the moon's orbit were somewhere above the "Lavana
Samudra' and not at all if it were right above the
sun ' s path .

Since RShu and Ketu pester the moon also by
cutting off the moon's rays coming to us, their planet
should be nearer to our earth than the moon.

iii

We may thus note how the Puranas have located the
Sun and the Moon at distances of 9,30,00000 miles and
2,50,000 miles away from our globe respectively. Just
because some learned men misinterpret things, we
should not try to find fault with the Puranas without
proper understanding. For instance, the greatest
oriental religious adventurer, Srila Prabhupada, the
sponsor of the 'Hare Krsna' movement, has said that it
is not possible to believe that astronauts landed upon
the Moon because that planet is crores of yojanas away
being located one lakh yojanas above the sun. He has
also said that the astronauts must have reached only a
nearer planet like Rahu. This is against the version
of the Puranas as well as against the modern findings
by geometrical method.

It is strange that the staunch followers of reli-
gious teachers believe implicitly whatever those
teachers say without using discretion. Although all
scientific guesses may not be correct as in the case
of stellar distances, we should attempt to harmonise
rational findings with puranic faces. For example,
the distance between our earth and the sun is said to
be 950 lakh miles (approximately) both in the puranas
and in our geography texts.

Coming to the occurance of eclipses, we have to
disagree entirely with the views of modern astrono-
mers. Rahu and Ketu are the slowest in motion taking
aboout 18 years to cover each constellation by retro-
gression while moving also forward along with the Time
Wheel. Therefore, they often meet the sun or the moon

112

at the same longitudes. They are not merely nodes or
crossing points of the paths of the sun and the moon.
The planet of Rahu and Ketu is actually there. Modern
astronomers have not turned their telescopes towards
that planet; or perhaps, it is not recognisable, being
dark in colour.

To say that the earth covers the moon or that the
moon covers the sun during eclipses, is but a conve-
nient guess. The three planets are never in the same
straight line. If this argument is put forth, the
scientists readily take shelter under parallax effect.
But that is no excuse.

The fact is different. The planets being at
different altitudes, there is no question of their
coming together in a straight line, Rahu, when at the
same longitudes, sends out a black jet and cuts off
the rays of the sun or the moon as the case may be.
This is known as 'Grasa* or swallowing. If it is the
turn of Ketu, he sends up dark brown rays and consumes
the rays of the sun or the moon. Any one can verify
this statement during lunar eclipses, finding black or
dark brown shadow upon the moon's orb - black when it
is the turn of Rahu and brown when it is the turn of
Ketu. Actually, there will be no shadow upon the sun
or the moon. To us it looks like that since the rays
are cut off from our view partially or fully. 3

113

THE STAR WORLD

(320 - 345)

Above the moon's orbit, the star world
extends upto 30 lakh yojanas. In the middle
areas the merited souls - Gandharvas and
Siddha class of divine personalities, along
with their consorts, enjoy life, moving as
they do in their divine vehicles. They eat
nice food, drink sweet juices and they sing
and dance. They drink the sweet waters of
the Ganga pervading in the sky (Aka'sa GangS).
Their vehicles are crores and crores in num-
ber and they are in the forms of stars. (They
are stars of their own kind). Even now men
can see them. Because of the brilliance of
these star-like vehicles and of the stars and
planets, the Time Wheel is called as
'Jyotiscakra' - the 'Wheel of Light'.

The location of the constellations is in
between the moon and the stars (the 27 star
groups ) .

The planet "Sukra (Venus) is two lakh
yojanas higher than the stars. Budha
(Mercury) is two lakh still higher; Kuja
(Mars), another two lakh higher; another two
lakh higher is Brhaspati (Jupiter), the
divine priest. Two lakh yojanas above
Jupiter is 'Sanaiscara , (Saturn). The

114

'Saptarsi mandala' (great bear) is 11 lakh
yojanas above Saturn; and 'Dhruvamandala '
(Pole star) is 14 lakh yojanas above the
orbit of the Saptarsis. Thus, the Pole star
is at at an altitude of 37 lakh yojanas above
the earth.

[Here we are certainly at loggerheads with modern
scientists and astronomers, who say that the nearest
star 'Alpha' is at least 4 light years away and that
the Pole star is still farther away. Having seen how
Vedic information is fully correct, we should not be
afraid of finding fault with human calculations.
There must be something wrong somewhere with their
instruments or their mode of calculation. The Pole
star is only 2,22,00000 miles away from us, and not
more than 200000000000000 miles away. Just as there
are star-like divine vehicles below the Pole star,
there are also divine vehicles of greater brilliance
and velocities at higher altitudes near the upper
worlds, moving in different directions. Perhaps,
these are mistaken as Pulsars and Quasars and
Galaxies. ]

As the planets go along their courses,
Gandharvas and Apsaras sing and dance and go
with them in front. They make themselves
merry again and again with sweet scents,
flowers, delicious food and nice drinks. The
learned brahmins on earth chant hymns in
their praise and offer oblations and saluta-
tions. These divine beings bless the good

115

souls with auspicious things and curse the
bad ones with disastrous effects.

[Here is the truth about the satellites or moons
of the planets.]

Thus the glory of the Kala Cakra has been
described.

The Puskara dvipa surrounds the Milk
ocean (Kslrabdhi). In its middle part runs
the Manasottara mountain ring brightening all
directions. In between the opposite sides of
this mountain ring, the distance is 2 crore,
51 lakh yojanas. The Kala Cakra extends thus
far.

Some say, out of ignorance, that the sun
sinks into the western ocean and enters the
Nether worlds and then rises in the east.
This is against Vedic information. It should
not be accepted. On account of the terraced
formation of the seven islands, Puskara dvipa
is the lowest; and therefore the setting
point and the rising point of the sun are at
lower levels in comparision with the location
of our part of the earth. Hence it looks as
though the Kala Cakra goes down and comes up.

[Here we see how Saint Sri Vadiraja criticises the
wrong views held by the ignorant ones, who said that
the earth is round like a rupee coin, surrounded by a

116

deep ocean. This is how the early Greeks and the
Europeans of the medival period thought. Indians

were no exception, influenced as they were by the
Greeks after Alexander's invasion of India. To be
truthful, all this is due to the curse of Sage Gautama
and the onset of the Kali Age. Sage Gautama cursed
the thankless sages that their knowledge should be
dimmed .

It is sad to note that the great Aryabhata
unwittingly accepted the Heliocentric theory proposed
by the later Greeks . ]

In Mahabharata it is said that there is
another Time Wheel in Patala loka upon which
move another sun and another moon. The
denizens of that region swoon down during day
time on account of the hot rays of the sun
and are revived when the cool rays of the
moon strike them. This Time Wheel also is
said to be lifted and lowered. The ignorant
ones have confused this Time Wheel for the
Kala Cakra of the •Antariksa' above the
earth. This is like mistaking a rope for the
snake .

We should believe only in the words of
Sage Vedavyasa who is none other than Lord
Sri Narayana. That the terrestrial Kala
Cakra goes round and round circumambulating
the Meru mountain, can be understood by

117

observing the 'Saptarsi Mandala" which goes
round the polar axis, as every one can see.

THE ENVELOPES COVERING BRAHMANDA

(345-348)
The Brahmanda (the golden shell covering
the universe) is 100 crore yojanas thick. It
is surrounded by the watery envelope which
has a thickness of 1000 crore yojanas
(Arbuda). Around it is the envelope of -the
fire element with a thickness of 'Nirbuda'
yojanas (10,000 crore) . Similarly, there
are other seven envelopes, each ten times
thicker than its inner complement. They are
- Air element, 'Kharva' (100,000 crore); Sky
element, 'Maha Kharva' (1000,000 crore); Ego
element (Ahamkara), 'Padma' yojanas

(10,000,000 crore), Mahat tatva element
(principle of intellect), 'Maha Padma"
(100,000,000 crore); Tamoguna (principle of
ignorance), 1000,000,000 crore - 'Ksoni';
Rajoguna (principle of activity),

10,000,000,000 crore - 'Maha Ksoni'; and
Satvaguna (principle of light and knowledge),
100,000,000,000 crore yojanas - ''Sankha'.
But the extent of the universe within the
Brahmanda is only 50 crore yojanas.

[Here we should recollect what has already been
said (St. 152). The huge Brahmanda, with its nine
envelopes, is not big enough to fill a hair pit on the
body of Lord Narayana. By this we should understand

cnat every thing has a limit? but our Lord is limit-
less. He is the limit for every thing. There is no
question of what is beyond, although with our
material-mindedness we are sure to pose such a
question. ]

CONSUMATION OF THE UNIVERSE

(348 - 358)

As the ''Sruti 1 declares, "Yasya bramhaca
Ksatranca ubhe bhavati odanam", the living
beings of the four castes, the great
sovereigns, ordinary human beings and the
other creatures as well as divine beings,
demons, serpents, yaksas, gandharvas, acqua-
tic creatures, pi'sacas in crores - all, all
are sanctified by the ghee of their bodies
and are consumed by the Lord at the time of
dissolution. He has a variety of drinks in
the oceans. Vegetation and fruits of diffe-
rent kinds form the herbal medical stuff.
All these are cooked in the fires of
' Pralaya' and the Lord Himself is the cook.
Having consumed everything, he mixes the
ashes of the golden Brahmanda into the
surrounding water envelope and drinks it up
like a digestive potion. He then rests upon
the banyan leaf like an innocent child,
tasting the thumb of his lotus-foot, inserted
into his lotus-mouth, the foot being held by
his lotus-hand.

119

"Kararavindena padaravindam

mukharavinde vinivesayantam,

Vatasya patrasya pute

"sayanam balam mukundam manasa smarami . "

[Here is a description of the 'Laya* process,
taking back the created things to their original
state, step by step. The concept of the Lord swallo-
wing everything does not mean that He is hungry and
thirsty. He is not at all affected in any manner by
the process of creation or dissolution. He is praised
in the 'Purusa sukta' thus - "SSsane anasane abhlh". H*
creates and sustains so that the dependent selves may
qualify themselves for their final goals; and, when he
goes on with the work of dissolutin, he gathers up the
merits and demerits earned by the souls to reward or
to punish them, and he also converts the created
material world into its original state of 'Avyakta',
the unmanifest 'Prakrti'.]

*

'SAMARPANA' (DEDICATION)

(358 - 361)

Thus, a description of the universe has
been offered that the Lord may be pleased
with this act. This is authored by Vadiraja
Bhiksu, the devotee of Acarya Sri Madhva.
Let the gods find pleasure in going through
it. The writing of the text was occasioned
by the debate regarding certain details about
the universe.

My salutations to Lord Laksmipati who is

the resort of the yogis; and my salutations

to Acarya Sri Madhva, who knows the Sastras
perfectly.

Sri Krsnarpanam astu

121

ANNKXDRE - 1

What Scientists say
about the Theory of Evolution

The traditional view of evolution is that
living things change gradually over millions
of years. But the fossil record always shows
abrupt changes; new groups of organisms
replace old ones with no evidence of
transitory forms.

'Missing links' was the phrase conve-
niently used. It is as though new groups
evolve in isolation, then rapidly spread and
completely replace the old ones.

The meteorite theory is put forward for
extinction of species on a large scale. The
volcanic theory is being advanced now.

Regarding the meteorite it is said - The
sun's .companion star, with elongated orbits,
comes nearer and upsets the cloud of comets
which bombards the earth. This occurs every
26 million years.

"It is a nice theory, but not all geo-
logists and astronomers accept it." [Compare
- The Puranas declare that catastrophies
occur every 30 million years. This is known

122

as 'Manu Kalpa Pralaya 1 = 71 maha yugas
(4320000 x 71 years) 1.

"Yet the problem remains of seeing how
one group of organisms changes into another."

"We could therefore hardly expect to
detect gradual changes into another."
(Quotations from Edward Ashpole's article,
Deccan Herald, Sept. 2, 1984).

F.J. Noronha (Deccan Herald, Sept. 30,
1984) refutes Edward Ashpole's views, saying,
that the latter' s statements show contra-
diction when he says,

(i) "But the fossil record does exist. That
is the important point. Evolution has
certainly taken place . " - As against
this.

(ii) "But the fossil record always shows
abrupt changes. New groups of organisms
replace old ones with no evidence of
transitory forms . "

F.J. Noronha continues - "Ever since Darwin
published 'Descent of Man' in 1871, it has
been the pet theory of evolutionists that man
has descended directly from the ape by mere
chance. The idea sparked off a worldwide
search for missing links. Many of the

123

'Discoveries' proved to be frauds. The most
famous was Piltdown Man installed in the
British Museum in 1912, and exhibitted as
irrefutable proof of evolution. Investiga-
tion revealed that the skull of an ancient
human was attached to the jaw of a freshly
killed monkey and that the famous tooth had
been painted to lend antiquity. Such aberra-
tion from scientific integrity must cast
serious doubts on the authenticity of fossil
records . "

[Fossil records there are; and they do point out
the stages of creation by the agents of God as has
been pointed out in the introduction. Mere human
guess leads one no where. For example scientists hold
the opinion that the iceland of Antarctica was once a
greenland. But it is strange that they overlook the
phenomena of the movements of the earth's crust during
periods of 'catastrophe'. They only think of meteors
and volcanoes. But our Puranas tell about the upsurge
of the ocean and consequent disturbances during 'Manu
Kalpa Pralayas " . The fault is not that of the modern
scientists who blindly follow the revolutionist Renai-
ssance thinkers, who were not satisfied with the views
of ' the religious magnates of their times. But if only
they had access to our Puranas in those days, things
would have been quite different. ]

Albert Einstein - (based on Abraham Pais'
Biography of Einstein - article by Rajendra
Prasad, Deccan Herald, 25.3.1984). There is

124

a remark about Einstein's "unceasing quest
for harmony in natural and social phenomena."

[This is certainly a pointer signifying the need
of an omnicient, omnipresent, omnipotent Supreme
Being- The very first stanea of Srimad Bhagavatam
speaks of such a Being who is responsible for
'harmony' since He is in the right know of things -
"Arthesu abhijnah, swarat" (He, the source of all
knowledge, knows what things and spiritual beings are
and He is independent Master ) ] .

Einstein has said, "The basis of all
scientific work is the conviction that the
world is an ordered and comprehensible
entity. "

Regarding the scope of scientific
research he says, "But I do not doubt that
the day will come when the description too
(his own theory of relativity) will have to
yield to another one, for reasons which at
present we do not yet surmise. I believe
that the process of deepening the theory has
no limits".

"Science without religion is lame;
religion without science is blind."

"Truth, independent of man, independent
of consciousness, independent of sense

125

experience, independent of morality " - this
wa's Einstein's religion.

[Is this not like Brahman, free from material
attributes I ]

Talking of the deep and wonderful
experience of the mysteriousness of the
cosmic structure, he said, "I content myself
with making amazing conjectures about these
secrets and humbly try to create a far-from-
full mental picture of the perfect
structure . "

"Need to believe always provides greater
impetus for the need to know . "

Fraud in Science

(C. S.G.Prasad, Deccan Herald, Aug. 14, 1983)

"The famous case of the Piltdown man,
surely the most celebrated hoax of all time
in science"

Why does fraud occur at all in scientific
fields? There are many reasons why. There
is firstly the culture of "publish or
perish". 'Massive cooking up of results' is
there .

There is enormous competition in the
world of science - to get ahead of his or her

126

peers. There is temptation to 'fabricate
results' .

Some times perfectly respectable studies
are labelled as frauds because established
science does not like the implications of
this or that particular study.

[This is what has happened to puranic truths in
our country. ]

Competition and preconceived notions, then, are
the two most important reasons behind fraud in
science.

We still do not know how many undetected frauds
continue to adulterate science; there is no way of
knowing either. Given this dismal prospect, how can
we continue to believe in scientific truths ?.

[Nature of stars and stellar distances belong to
this field of scientific truths, largely conjectures,
not established truths.]

Photograph of the Earth

A photograph of the globe earth was
published in 'Kannada Prabha' as the complete
picture of the earth (28.9.83).

I doubt if it is a true photograph or a
•cooked up' picture of the artists' skill.

127

How could one obtain a full photograph of the
entire earth 8000 miles in diameter, from a
distance (height of 600 mi , is indeed
surprising.

The clear contours of the continents
therein certainly point out to artistic
fraud.

128

ANNKXORE - 2

Siirya Siddhanta
(Astronomy based on Helio-centric theory)

If we look into the 'Bhugola Adhyaya' (P.
245) of 'Siirya Siddhanta * } which is in the
form of a dialogue between the Sun God and
Mayasura, (Kasi Sanskrit Granthamala - 144),
any discerning person will easily find out
that the meanings of the original texts are
perverted to make out preconceived meanings.
The twisting of meanings could not be done
while translating the original verses; but
the perverted meanings are given in the
latter half of the chapter, stating clearly,
"It is the opinion of all the ancient
thinkers that all the planets go round the
earth; but the new thinkers are of opinion
that the sun is steady and the planets,
including the earth, go round the sun (P.
225) .

The very text of 'Surya Siddhanta* seems
to be a mixture of sensible puranic verses
and inserted new ones to press forward modern
views .

Moreover, 'Surya Siddh5nta' is meant to
delude the demoniac minds of 'Kaliyuga',

129

those who follow Mayasura, the architect of
the demons -

In this context, it may be noted that the
'Maya Civilisation' reminds us of Mayasura
and his brood, who only could have created
marvellous artistic and engineering models,
beyond the ability of ordinary human beings,
referred to in "Chariots of the Gods".

ANNEXURE - 3

(Miscellaneous )

Two Indian mathematicians working in a
Siberian University, Dr. Paul Gulati and his
wife Shobha Gulati, authors of 'Similarity
Theory' , say that Einstein was wrong. They
say, "In this theory, light velocity is not
held as constant (as Einstein did) and there
is no clock paradox which follows from
Einstein ' s theory " .

Fifth Force in Nature

"When you see something as fundamental as
a new force it is likely to change many
things. We will have to rethink many views
of Particle Physics and Cosmology".

(Sunday Herald, Bangalore, 26.1.86)

Chinese links with Vedas

Prof Huang Xinchuang ponders whether the
Vedas sustained the Chinese dynasties. The
Chief Editor of the 'Chinese Encyclopedia'
now being compiled, Prof. Huang told visiting
researchers of the Institute of Oriental
Study from Thane, near Bombay, recently, that
"virtually every Chinese dynasty got the
Vedas translated from Sanskrit to classical
Chinese". Manuscripts on Yoga and Ayurveda,

131

including Patanjali's "Yoga Sutra and the
"'Sushruta" and "Charaka" Samhitas were
similarly translated, the professor said and
claimed that over 5000 such manuscripts are
available in China, several of them pre-
dating manuscripts extant in India.

(Deccan Herald - Saturday, Aug. 23, 1986)

Sri M.B.K. Sharma, Astronomer, Usmania
University, says, "The moon is too large to
be regarded as a true satellite".

132

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ANNEXURE - 6

Final Verdict

The theory of evolution was the product
of European Renaissance. The intelligentia
of the west probed into the past of Greece,
Egypt and China, to some extent, the last
two grudgingly. They never cared to look
into the past of India, perhaps, due to the
prejudicial feeling created by British
domination.

A study of Vedic literature on oriental
lines will show much internal evidence to say
that the Vedas are Revelations; not just the
cream of human thought.

When we familiarly come across astounding
inspiration and intuition, is it not right to
respect the intuition of the great seers ?
Ramanujam, the mathematical prodigy, once
said to his peers in England that his family
deity, Namagiriyamma gave in his dream the
solution for a difficult problem that was
worrying the heads of every one of them.

As regards Cosmogony and Cosmography, the

western scholars gathered only hazy and

distorted notions from later Greece and its
successor Rome.

It is for the wise ones to dig deep into
the oriental mines.

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